Quinten Timber: De Zerbi's Warning About Marseille's Unique Nature

Quinten Timber joined Olympique de Marseille (OM) last January from Feyenoord, under the influence of Roberto De Zerbi, who left his coaching position just days later. Before his departure, the Italian coach took the time to brief the Dutch midfielder on the Marseille club and its peculiar context.

Barely two weeks. Quinten Timber didn't have much time to play under Roberto De Zerbi, who brought him to OM from Feyenoord Rotterdam last January. A few days after signing with Marseille until 2030, the Dutch midfielder learned of the Italian coach's departure. An uncomfortable situation for the Utrecht native, trained at Ajax, even though De Zerbi took the time to brief him on the Phocaean club and its singular context before packing his bags.

"He told me before I signed: 'You're coming here, but you have to realize that Marseille is something else'," the 25-year-old revealed in an interview with L'Équipe. "We have the match against Lens (3-1, January 24th), then we go to Bruges (0-3, January 28th), I'm not qualified for the Champions League, I stay in the stands. Then we play Paris FC, we are very good, before collapsing in a few minutes (2-2, January 31st). After the match, the coach called me out: 'You see? OM is special'."

'Genesio is very clear about what he wants'

Before Roberto De Zerbi, Igor Paixao, with whom he played at Feyenoord, had also alerted him to the Marseille context. "He was always very positive about OM, but from the Netherlands, you can't imagine the importance of a club like Marseille. You have to come and experience it. The city, the stadium, the passion. Everything is surprising," explained the twin brother of Jürrien Timber, the Arsenal defender.

For a few weeks now, Quinten Timber, who played in the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands (eliminated by Morocco in the Round of 16), has been getting to know Bruno Genesio, who took the reins of OM during the off-season. "He is very clear about what he wants. About how to play, how to manage the locker room," testified the Marseille number 27. "He has experience, and the feedback from players who have worked with him before is positive. For us in midfield, there are many combinations and possibilities, he gives us freedom within a defined structure."