L'Equipe: De Zerbi ‘unites squad against him' at Marseille amid Milan links
L'Equipe: De Zerbi 'unites squad against him' at Marseille amid Milan links
AC Milan have been linked to Roberto De Zerbi in recent months, and it seems that the Italian's current situation may be deteriorating.
Even last summer, when Stefano Pioli was heading towards an exit, De Zerbi was mentioned. But in truth, the links extend far past that. The Italian's name has been constantly linked to the Milan job since his Brighton team started to take off.
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Formerly a Rossonero himself, the coach's stocks have grown at a staggering rate, and even at Marseille, he has still been rather admired. But the Diavolo have never taken the step towards him yet, and it remains to be seen if they will.
As L'Equipe (via Gazzetta dello Sport) write this morning, his situation in France is seemingly deteriorating quickly with the coach refusing to work with the players at the start of the week, after a poor defeat at the weekend.
In fact, the sporting director was forced to step in and mediate, with the players 'furious' at their coach. This is not a new thing, though. Throughout the season, the report writes that the coach has been regularly hard on his team, leaving them 'unstable' mentally and tactically.
Now, though, they are united, which is something he wished for; the only issue is that they are united against him, which could change his own future.
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Will coach Mauricio Pochettino's US men's national team figure it out in time for next year's World Cup?
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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Christian Pulisic: 'I don't regret' skipping Gold Cup, calls some criticism 'way out of line'
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And was that to play eight more games, and then get no rest at all, go straight into preseason, and grind another season, and go straight into the World Cup? "I had to make the best decision for myself, and also in the long run for my team," Pulisic continued, "even though clearly some people haven't seen it that way." Christian Pulisic gave his first interview since opting to rest this summer, a decision that sparked fierce criticism and controversy, including from former USMNT players. (Photo by Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) (SOPA Images via Getty Images) Pulisic addresses criticism from former USMNT players The decision sparked fierce criticism from both fans and former players. Landon Donovan, perhaps the most famous player in program history until Pulisic came along, rekindled the controversy Sunday while watching Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal celebrate their UEFA Nations League title. Advertisement "This is what it means to represent your country," Donovan said on the Fox broadcast. "[Ronaldo's] 40 years old. He's played a long-ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding, hurt himself in the process. And I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off." Those comments triggered a response from Pulisic's dad, Mark, who, in an Instagram post, cited Donovan's late-career break from soccer and told the USMNT legend to "look in the mirror + grow a pair." Christian Pulisic liked the post. In Thursday's interview, Pulisic did not name Donovan, but seemed to implicitly address Donovan's comments. "You can talk about my performances, whatever you want," Pulisic said. "But to question my commitment, especially towards the national team, in my opinion, that's way out of line." He later added: "I just don't understand why also so many people are so big on just wanting to give out these takes when they've been through tough moments themselves. I don't understand the idea of wanting to divide this fan base, and bring a negative light over it in any way. But we tend to do that a lot." Advertisement Pulisic also admitted that, in general, the criticism from former players "is tough. You know, I looked up to those guys growing up. Some of these guys were my idols. I respect them so much as players." He said that, privately, some of the former players talk to him "and clearly want to show support, and be your friend and everything. And then they say something slightly different publicly." Pulisic said that he tries to "stay away from" the criticism. Other USMNT players have spoken about tuning out "noise." Tyler Adams told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday that "nothing seeps into my world." On a soon-to-be-released podcast, though, former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard revealed that Pulisic had reached out to him via Instagram, in response to some of Howard's public comments, to say: "I thought you were out of order, I didn't like what you said." (Howard said he gave Pulisic his phone number, and told Pulisic he could call to discuss further.) Advertisement Criticism of the USMNT as a whole ratcheted up in March after losses to Panama and Canada. It crescendoed again this week after a pitiful 4-0 loss to Switzerland, the team's fourth straight defeat. One of the common takes, especially coming out of March, was that this so-called golden generation of players lacked necessary passion and desire to fight for their national team. Pulisic, speaking Thursday, took exception with that line of criticism. "The only thing that does frustrate me is this narrative that people want to create that it's that we don't care, that it's a commitment [issue], and stuff like that," he said. "In my opinion, it can be a lazy take. "We don't step out there and not give 100%," he continued. "It's not something that we do. We all want it so bad." He concluded: "Just to say, always, 'these guys don't care, bring guys that have pride' — like, that's not really the answer, in my opinion. There's a lot more to a soccer game that you need to do to win than to care. And I think a lot of us care." Advertisement Pulisic also stood up for some of his teammates, several of whom are also missing the Gold Cup. "I promise you," he said, after disappointing results at the 2024 Copa América and 2025 CONCACAF Nations League, "we don't just lose these things and move on. We're all pissed about it. Weston [McKennie], Tim [Weah], Yunus [Musah], all these guys ... they're competitors. I talk with these guys regularly. We're sick about it. We want to get back out and win in the biggest games, in the biggest tournaments, on the biggest stages." Pulisic's communication with Pochettino Pulisic also revealed that he's spoken to USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino only once about the summer and his decision. "We had one phone call where we discussed everything," Pulisic said. "He understood where I was coming from. That's as much conversation as I've had with him. We haven't continued to talk." Advertisement When asked by former USMNT forward Charlie Davies, one of the show's three co-hosts, about whether he'd expect more communication, Pulisic said he didn't "have an issue with it," but did acknowledge that Pochettino's approach to communication has been "slightly different with some of my other national coaches." Pulisic: 'You guys will see ... I'm hungrier than ever' Pulisic stood by the Gold Cup decision, in part because, already, after a couple weeks of rest, he's feeling "really good." "I knew how I was feeling towards the end of last season. I was dealing with a couple small things that just kept lingering," he said. Some family time, and some Florida sun, were "just what the doctor ordered," he wrote on Instagram this week. Advertisement "And I'm excited that I'm already gonna start getting back into training again this week and work on some things that I've really wanted to work on myself," he explained Thursday. "And I know it's going to put me in an amazing position leading into next season." "You guys will see, man," he assured the show's co-hosts and viewers. "I'm hungrier than ever, truly. I'm really looking forward for big things to come."
Yahoo
7 hours ago
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Lewis Hamilton and The Ferrari Fiasco: Is the Dream Dead?
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This poor performance stood in sharp contrast to his teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished on the podium in P3 in Spain. The Monegasque driver now holds a significant advantage over Hamilton in Grand Prix results, leading 8-1 after nine races. Leclerc also sits higher in the drivers' standings, 23 points ahead of Hamilton. Advertisement The Italian media has not held back its criticism as results continue to lag. 'On the track, in radio communications, in the interviews he has to give by contract, even if he would like to run away, to lock himself away, Lewis Hamilton is a dull star,' said Giorgio Terruzzi of Corriere della Serra. 'He cannot keep up with Leclerc's pace; he seems suspended between the search for the magic powder and the suspicion of being surrounded by a team that does not understand him and does not support him.' Ouch. Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg, Hamilton's former Mercedes teammate, has also weighed in on Hamilton's current situation. Rosberg noted that while Hamilton might sometimes be off in qualifying, his race pace is usually 'awesome,' making his performance in Spain 'shockingly bad'. Advertisement 'When you don't have any answers, it's really tough as a driver,' Rosberg said. 'In light of the whole season he's had so far, it's a very dark situation.' Read More: Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Struggles: Miami GP radio fights & Schumacher's harsh words F1 insider questions the relationship with Ferrari Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Johnny Herbert, a former Formula 1 driver and pundit, questioned whether the raw pace Hamilton has always possessed remains present. Herbert suggested that a peak Lewis Hamilton would be extracting the maximum from the Ferrari, akin to what Max Verstappen is currently doing with his Red Bull. Several factors have been cited as contributing to Hamilton's difficulties. Some suggest that the transition to an Italian team environment from Anglo-Saxon realities, such as Mercedes and McLaren, presents a challenge due to differing work systems. The lack of a consistently winning car is also a factor. Difficulties adapting to the Ferrari simulator compared to the Mercedes one have also been mentioned. Additionally, an apparent struggle to gel with race engineer Riccardo Adami, including tense radio exchanges and poor communication or strategic decisions, has been noted as a cause for concern. Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert highlighted a lack of a genuine connection with his engineer and suggested Hamilton hasn't found his comfort zone since his Sprint win in China. Advertisement 'There have been a couple of poor decisions in Ferrari's strategy and poor communication over the radio, Hamilton doesn't have the synergy with his engineer that he needs,' Herbert said Related: F1 Power Rankings 2025: Top 10 entering Canadian Grand Prix Could Hamilton be one-and-done at Ferrari? Credit: F1 Given this trajectory, questions are now arising about Hamilton's future at Ferrari and in F1. The situation is being compared to that of four-time world champion Alain Prost, who joined Ferrari at the peak of his career in 1990 but was fired less than two years later. Sources note that Prost's dismissal followed a build-up of negative comments about the car, internal politics, and mishandling of the Italian media, parallels that Hamilton is starting to encounter. Advertisement Although a split before the significant regulation changes in 2026 would seem illogical, the disappointing start has raised the possibility of an infamous Ferrari sacking if results don't improve. The question of whether Hamilton himself might consider retirement has also been posed. With his move to Ferrari proving to be more of a nightmare than a dream, thus far, the next several races are being viewed as critical. The Canadian Grand Prix, a track where Hamilton has historically excelled, is highlighted as a key opportunity. If he has another difficult weekend like in Barcelona, it could signal deeper issues. While David Croft of Sky Sports believes Hamilton can turn things around, the pressure is mounting for a significant change in fortune. At this juncture, sources suggest Ferrari needs to back Leclerc, who is seen as the driver controlling the team's future and the one they can rely on. Advertisement 'But look, if anyone can do it and turn it around, the seven-time world champion that is Lewis Hamilton can definitely turn it around,' Sky Sports commentator David Croft said. 'Very simply, Lewis will be around next year,' he added. 'He's not going anywhere.' Related Headlines
