Riolo Critiques De Zerbi’s Decisions Against Sporting

Setback for Marseille. Reduced to ten players just before halftime, the club lost to Sporting Lisbon (2-1) on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League, ending their five-match winning streak across all competitions. Marseille started strong with a powerful shot from Igor Paixao in the 14th minute but saw their momentum halted by the expulsion of Emerson Palmieri for a dive in the opposing penalty area (45th minute). Samir Nasri criticized the decision on Canal+: “Emerson was in the middle of action, trying to earn a penalty. The first yellow was harsh. Aubameyang is right; it changed the game’s dynamics. Marseille lost their spark. De Zerbi’s substitutions lacked boldness in the second half. He played it too safe.” De Zerbi also faced criticism from Riolo.

In l’After Foot, Riolo was blunt about the Italian coach’s tactical management. “Marseille handed three points to Sporting. I would never take Greenwood off in this match. How is that even possible? De Zerbi’s match management was more than questionable; it was a complete failure. But ultimately, Emerson is responsible for making a big mistake. The coach should have stepped in to help. He was really poor tonight,” he stated. Riolo particularly regretted the substitutions of Mason Greenwood and Arthur Vermeeren for Amir Murillo and Matt O’Riley to reinforce the defense: “If a player really needs to be substituted, it should be Aubameyang.” Éric Di Meco echoed this opinion, arguing that the changes deprived Marseille of effective counterattacks and weakened the team in the second half.