Roberto De Zerbi advised Unai Emery on the absence of “friendly matches” after a confrontation with Aston Villa’s coach during a tense encounter in southern France. Marseille defeated Villa 3-1 at Stade Velodrome with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a former Arsenal striker now aged 36, scoring two late goals after coming off the bench.
The contentious clash involved Tyrone Mings grabbing Mason Greenwood, who scored in the first half, by the collar and tearing his shirt following a trip by Amadou Onana of Manchester United. Greenwood retaliated by kicking the Belgian midfielder after evading several challenges.
Onana expressed displeasure and scolded Greenwood, who responded by laughing. Mings intervened, leading to a confrontation involving players from both teams. De Zerbi subsequently substituted Greenwood.
Emery criticized Marseille’s aggressive tactics a week before the Premier League season began, but De Zerbi, the former Brighton manager, was unimpressed by Emery’s reaction.
De Zerbi stated, “He complained to my players. I prefer that he takes care of his players, and I take care of mine. The match was heated, which is good as people paid to attend the Vélodrome. We must respect them and be more aggressive from the outset.”
He added, “We are professional teams like Aston Villa and Sevilla. There are no truly friendly matches or training sessions. The key is to stay focused for Marseille’s opening Ligue 1 game in Rennes.”
Aston Villa will travel from France to Spain to face Villarreal at Estadi de la Ceramica. This trip signifies Emery’s return to the Yellow Submarine after a successful stint where he won the Europa League and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
It will be Emery’s final chance to prepare Aston Villa for their Premier League opener against Newcastle United on Saturday. The Midlands team aims to kick off their campaign strongly against a contender for European qualification.