Roberto De Zerbi has sensationally threatened to quit Marseille just over four months after joining the Ligue 1 side following their 3-1 home defeat to Auxerre on Friday. 

Mason Greenwood's 65th minute penalty proved to be a consolation after Lassine Sinayoko, Gaetan Perrin and Hamed Traore had the visitors three goals up at the break.  

Despite Marseille sitting second in Ligue 1, they find themselves six points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who can extend their lead at the top against Angers on Saturday.

De Zerbi's struggles have come at the Velodrome this season, winning just one of his five home league games in charge.

Only Anges and Montpellier (four) have picked up fewer points on home soil this term than Marseille (five). 

Their latest defeat saw Marseille lose two consecutive Ligue 1 home games for the first time since February 2023.

They also lost to a newly promoted side while conceding at least three goals for the first time in the league since a 3-1 defeat to Nimes in August 2018, leaving De Zerbi furious at full-time. 

"If I'm the problem, I'm ready to leave. I'll leave the money and hand back my contract," De Zerbi said. "I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome.

"And I can't get the players to give here what I see in training and in away games. It's my fault, it's my responsibility.

"Playing at the Velodrome is a privilege. I want to be able to pass on to the people who work with me what I think about football. And I can't do that."

Mason Greenwood is "making a difference" for Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille amid their strong start to the Ligue 1 season, says the club's chief executive, Pablo Longoria.

Greenwood joined Marseille on a permanent deal from Manchester United in July, having spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Getafe.

Greenwood had not appeared for United since he was arrested and suspended by the club in January 2022. The forward was later charged with attempted rape and assault, which he denied, with the charges dropped in early 2023 following the withdrawal of key witnesses.

He has scored five times in his first three Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille, becoming just the second player to achieve that feat in the last 50 seasons of the French top flight, after Nice's Mario Balotelli in 2016.

He scored an 81-second brace in the first half of a 3-1 win at Toulouse prior to the international break, lifting Marseille to seven points from their first three games.

While Marseille's move for the 22-year-old drew criticism from many onlookers, Longoria has been impressed by his impact on the pitch.

Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, Longoria told Stats Perform: "He's a great player. He's making a difference. 

"If you're asking all the players, all the people that are in the day-to-day with the team, they can tell you that his level is amazing and we are really happy having him. 

"We are really happy about the start of the season he is doing and the behaviour he's having with us in Marseille."

Marseille pulled off what many saw as a coup to appoint De Zerbi as their new head coach ahead of this season, following his surprise exit from Brighton.

Longoria believes the Italian has been a seamless fit at the Stade Velodrome, saying: "What I appreciated was the firmness of Roberto de Zerbi in all the conversations and the connection that he has created with us since the first day. 

"This is the biggest satisfaction that I can say, and I'm very thankful to the coach for how he's adapting himself to the project."

Marseille are currently second in the Ligue 1 standings, two points behind champions Paris Saint-Germain, who lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid ahead of the new campaign.

While Longoria believes Marseille's project is one for the medium-to-long term, he refuses to put a limit on their ambitions for 2024-25.

"They are having a great start to the season as well, to be honest. Our objective is to build a project over three years. That is the number one," he said of PSG.

"Second, we are really happy with how we started this season. Our goal has to be in the Champions League and improve our level. 

"After that, let's see what the competition will put on us. We need to be ambitious, but at the same time, we need to be realistic as well. I'm not saying that we cannot compete. 

"I'm asking for a bit of patience because this is a three-year project, and we really want to improve each day, each week, and each game day. We need to improve our level."

Mason Greenwood seems set to switch allegiance from England to play for Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz under new manager Steve McClaren, according to reports.

It has been widely reported that Olympique Marseille winger has started the process after the English Football Association was approached by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to formally request a transfer of Greenwood’s international registration.

The 22-year-old former Manchester United starlet, who made his England debut in a UEFA Nations League game at 18 years old, has not featured for the Three Lions since, as he has endured international exile since being charged with attempted rape and assault, which he denied. The charges were later dropped.

As per FIFA rules, Greenwood can change allegiances as he was under 21 years old when he competed for England in 2020.

The JFF’s initial attempt to get Greenwood to switch his international allegiance was unsuccessful, as the player declined with hopes of reviving his career with England.

However, this latest breakthrough was said to be aided by the recent appointment of McClaren as Reggae Boyz Head coach, as the former Manchester United assistant has persuaded Greenwood, who, according to The Sun, is eligible to play for Jamaica through his father, Andrew, to make the move.

Greenwood, who played one season for Spanish La Liga club Getafe last season on loan from Manchester United, later moved to Marseille, where he scored twice and contributed two assists in a 5-1 win over Brest last weekend.

McClaren’s first game as Reggae Boyz Head coach will be a Concacaf Nations League fixture against Cuba on September 6, followed by an away contest against Honduras. However, Greenwood’s transfer may not come through in time for him to play.

Roberto De Zerbi has hailed Mason Greenwood's performance after the striker scored a brace on his Marseille debut on Saturday.

The Italian started life in Ligue 1 with an impressive 5-1 win over Brest, with Luis Henrique also scoring twice on either side of Mahdi Camara's goal, before Elye Wahi rounded off the win from the penalty spot.

Greenwood, who joined Marseille on a permanent transfer last month having spent last season on loan at Getafe, settled in quickly, netting his first goal within three minutes and slotting in his second from 12 yards just after the half-hour mark.

He is just the third player to score twice on his Ligue 1 debut for Marseille this century, after Dimitri Payet (2013) and Luis Suarez (2022).

De Zerbi was particularly impressed by the 22-year-old, explaining what sets him apart from other players.

"Mason Greenwood is a player who is different from the others, he has an extraordinary level," De Zerbi said after the game.

"I am happy that he scored. This will calm the controversies that surrounded his arrival."

Marseille finished eighth in the French top-flight last season before bringing in De Zerbi to improve on that result.

And the 45-year-old was pleased that their work in the off-season led to such an emphatic start to the season.

"I'm happy. We started from a long way back, we had to rebuild a team," De Zerbi told beIN Sports.

"It gave me satisfaction, especially in the second half where the team showed mental strength to go for the victory." 

Manchester United have confirmed Mason Greenwood's departure to Marseille.

Greenwood, who has not featured for United since January 2022, has joined the French club for a reported €31.6million (£26.6m).

The 22-year-old has signed a five-year deal with Marseille, who are now coached by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

Greenwood spent last season on loan at Getafe, scoring eight times across 33 LaLiga appearances.

The attacker was suspended by United in 2022 after he was arrested and charged with alleged assault, attempted rape and coercive control.

The case against Greenwood, who denied the allegations, was subsequently dropped.

Roberto De Zerbi has no intentions of prejudging Mason Greenwood as speculation grows over a move to Marseille for the Manchester United forward.

Greenwood spent last season on loan at Getafe and has not played for United since being suspended by the club in January 2022 after being arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and assault.

The 22-year-old was subsequently charged with attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

However, the charges were later dropped due to the withdrawal of key witnesses and "new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction".

Marseille are said to be interested in taking Greenwood away from Old Trafford, with reports suggesting an initial loan deal with a view to a permanent transfer worth in the region of £27m ($35m).

Newly appointed Marseille head coach De Zerbi says he will defend Greenwood as he would any other player if the one-cap England international joins.

"Mason is a world-class player but we have not recruited him yet," De Zerbi said at Tuesday's press conference.

"I don't know what happened but I am not used to get involved in my players' private life. But if he comes here, you have to know that I treat all my players like my sons.

"I can tell them off in private but I would never attack them in public."

Valencia have reportedly also placed a bid for the Man Utd attacker, while Lazio, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are said to be monitoring the situation.

Greenwood scored eight goals while on loan at Getafe last season, as well as recording six assists.

Manchester United are keen to sell Mason Greenwood in the upcoming transfer window and could field interest from Barcelona, according to Getafe president Angel Torres.

Greenwood joined Getafe on a season-long loan deal in September and has scored eight goals and added six assists in 29 appearances in LaLiga in 2023-24.

Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and was later charged with attempted rape and assault, with all charges against him dropped in February 2023.

United then conducted a six-month internal investigation into his conduct and said they recognised "the difficulties with him recommencing his career" with the club.

In February, speculation that Greenwood could yet return to Old Trafford was heightened when new minority shareholder Jim Ratcliffe said a "fresh decision" would be made on his future at the end of the season.

However, Getafe chief Torres claims the Red Devils are now keen to cash in on a player he hopes to keep at the Estadio Coliseum.

"If it depended on the player, his parents and the club, I think he would continue for another year," Torres said of Greenwood in an interview with RadioMARCA on Tuesday.

"Manchester United's idea is to sell if there is a good offer, we will have to wait. I think he will stay."

Reports had suggested both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona were considering a move for Greenwood, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract with United.

Torres claims Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco have been in touch about the 22-year-old, adding: "No one from Atleti has asked me about Greenwood. 

"I spoke with [Atleti president] Miguel Angel [Gil Marin], but about other things. The only one who asked me about the player was Joan Laporta.

"I spoke with him and Deco and they asked me what he was like to get a sense of the player, but first they have to sell to buy, this is the problem with Spanish football."

Girona lost further ground in the LaLiga title race as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Getafe at the Estadio Coliseum.

Jesus Santiago rounded off a well-worked move in the 33rd minute to score the only goal of the game for Getafe, who moved into the top half of the table with victory.

Leading scorer Artem Dovbyk missed a handful of chances in the second half for Girona and defeats means the Catalan surprise packages are now 10 points behind leaders Real Madrid following their win at Osasuna on Saturday.

Getafe had their hearts in their mouths in the 11th minute when the referee was sent to the VAR screen after Omar Alderete pulled Cristian Portu back on the last line of defence, but a yellow card was deemed sufficient punishment.

Chances were at a premium during the opening stages but Getafe forward Mason Greenwood chanced his arm from 25 yards with an effort that flew comfortably wide midway through the half.

However, Getafe would break the deadlock soon after the half-hour mark thanks to Santiago. Ilaix Moriba’s pass unlocked the Girona defence and found teenager Santiago who smashed his shot across goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga and into the net.

Girona, who had lost four of their previous five away games, looked for a rapid response and their biggest chance of the half came just before the break when Portu smashed an effort towards goal. The shot looked to be heading in via a deflection only for Getafe to scramble it away.

Girona started the second period the stronger of the two sides and had the first opening of the half as Dovbyk picked up possession outside box before seeing his shot flash a whisker wide of the target.

The visitors were starting to put the pressure on in search of an equaliser and Savio’s clever low drive into the box was diverted wide by Dovbyk.

Getafe looked to respond and were awarded a free-kick 30 yards out. The distance did not deter Oscar Rodriguez, who fancied his chances, but he blasted his shot straight into the grasp of Gazzaniga.

Getafe had a better chance to double their lead when a cross fell to the unmarked Moriba inside the box but he sent his header wide of the target.

Time was running out for Girona and Dovbyk mustered another opportunity for himself when he cut into the box but fired straight at keeper as the score remained 1-0.

All the chances were falling to Dovbyk and this time Savio’s inswinging cross found the Ukraine international, but his header was saved by David Soria who ensured Getafe held on to claim their first win in five games.

What the papers say

Liverpool have expressed their faith in Colombian winger Luis Diaz after telling Spanish giants Barcelona that the 27-year-old is not for sale and is a part of their long-term plans, the Daily Mirror reports. Diaz has scored six goals and created three more in 27 games in the Premier League for the club this season.

The Mirror says Manchester United have set a price tag of £43million on striker Mason Greenwood with an unnamed Saudi Pro League interested in the 22-year-old’s signature. The forward has spent the season in La Liga at Spanish club Getafe on loan where he has scored six goals and assisted five more in 23 matches.

The Daily Mail reports Chelsea could be looking to offload several stars this summer including Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal have made the Swedish forward their number one target this summer with the Sporting Lisbon player having a £85million release clause in his contract, according to Football Transfers.

Willian Pacho: Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in the 22-year-old Ecuadorian defender at Eintracht Frankfurt, 90min says.

(NB: The Nations League semi-finals will be broadcast live on Sportsmax)

Reggae Boyz head coach Heimer Halgrimsson has openly expressed his keen interest in inviting Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood to join Jamaica's national football team. Greenwood, currently on loan at Getafe, faces limited prospects for an England call-up ahead of Euro 2024, paving the way for potential international representation elsewhere.

The 22-year-old, who earned a single cap for England against Iceland in September 2020, found himself on loan at Getafe after Manchester United deemed it necessary for him to continue his career away from the club.

The decision followed the dropping of charges, including attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behavior, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, all of which Greenwood denied, by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023.

Eligible to play for Jamaica through his father, Andrew, Greenwood's potential representation for the Caribbean nation has been a topic of discussion, with reports suggesting the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) is open to the idea. According to current FIFA rules, the Manchester United academy graduate would be within his rights to change his international allegiance.

Speaking at a CONCACAF Nations League press conference in Dallas on Tuesday, Hallgrimsson confirmed the ongoing discussions about Greenwood's potential inclusion in the Reggae Boyz squad. "I really don't like to talk about 'what if,' but this, of course, has come to our mind,"  the coach said.

"I would love to have him in my team. Like all coaches, I would like to have the best players in our team, but it's always up to the player himself if he wants to do it," added Hallgrimsson, highlighting the player's autonomy in making such a significant decision regarding his international career.

Jamaica plays the USA on March 21, 2024.

The president of La Liga says he “doesn’t care” about Mason Greenwood’s past and wants the Manchester United forward to stay in Spain beyond this season.

The 22-year-old faced charges including attempted rape and assault but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February last year that the case had been discontinued.

He moved to Getafe on loan last summer, and La Liga chief Javier Tebas has been impressed with him to such a degree he hopes he stays for the longer term.

“He’s doing really well at Getafe as a player and I hope he continues to be successful and he continues to stay in Spanish football because that’s always good for us,” Tebas told a media briefing at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit on Thursday.

“He is just another player. He had a past, but not a past we can do anything about. He was innocent and wasn’t condemned. We can’t be judges for everything. If we did that, we’d have no teams.

“I’m a lawyer, so it’s important to say he is not condemned. He was acquitted here (in the UK). Should we have reopened the case in Spain? Do I know the case in great detail? No.

“Greenwood was not condemned, so I don’t care.”

Manchester United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said last week that a fresh decision would be made on Greenwood this summer now that Ineos has been delegated control of football operations at Old Trafford.

Reports last year that United were planning to retain him following an internal investigation were met by public outcry and Ratcliffe acknowledges that a decision will have to be made when Greenwood returns about what happens next – but insists nothing has been finalised yet.

“It’s quite clear we have to make a decision. There is no decision that’s been made,” Ratcliffe said at a media briefing to mark the completion of his purchase of a minority stake in United.

Asked asked if the Greenwood situation would be a “fresh decision”, Ratcliffe said: “Yeah we will. Absolutely. We will make a decision, and we will justify it one way or the other.”

Ratcliffe added: “He’s on loan obviously, but he’s not the only one – we’ve got one or two footballers that we have to deal with and we have to make a decision on, so we will do that.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe says Manchester United will make a fresh decision on the future of forward Mason Greenwood and will “justify it one way or the other”.

Greenwood, who is on loan at Spanish side Getafe, was suspended by United on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

The now 22-year-old faced charges including attempted rape and assault but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February last year that the case had been discontinued.

Reports last year that United were planning to retain him following an internal investigation were met by public outcry and Ratcliffe acknowledges that a decision will have to be made when Greenwood returns about what happens next – but insists nothing has been finalised yet.

“It’s quite clear we have to make a decision. There is no decision that’s been made,” Ratcliffe said at a media briefing to mark the completion of his purchase of a minority stake in United which delegates control of football operations to his company Ineos.

Asked asked if the Greenwood situation would be a “fresh decision”, Ratcliffe said: “Yeah we will. Absolutely. We will make a decision, and we will justify it one way or the other.”

Ratcliffe added: “He’s on loan obviously, but he’s not the only one – we’ve got one or two footballers that we have to deal with and we have to make a decision on, so we will do that.

“The process will be – understand the facts, not the hype, and then try and come to a fair decision on the basis of values, which is basically: is he a good guy or not?

“Could he play sincerely for Manchester United, (play) well and we’d be comfortable with it and the fans would be comfortable with it.”

Greenwood is under contract at United until the summer of 2025.

Real Madrid moved back to the top of LaLiga after Joselu’s double secured a routine 2-0 win at Getafe.

Joselu bagged his first league goal since October 7 after heading home from Lucas Vazquez’s right-wing cross in the opening quarter of an hour.

The 33-year-old then struck in the second half as Real downed their Madrid rivals to leapfrog Girona and move two points clear at the top of the standings.

Jude Bellingham was restored to the Real line-up after missing the come-from-behind win at Las Palmas last time out but was upstaged early on as he was nutmegged by Borja Mayoral in a rare Getafe foray.

Joselu rattled the bar early on but was flagged offside while Vinicius Junior saw a tame shot saved after being put through but Getafe failed to heed the warning signs and fell behind in the 14th minute.

It was a simple enough move as Vazquez got ahead of Gaston Alvarez on the wing and crossed to the back post, where Joselu managed to shrug off Domingos Duarte and direct a downward header into the net.

While the on-loan Espanyol forward had scored in other competitions, this was his first goal in the Spanish top-flight in 13 appearances – although he has only started three times in that period.

The Vazquez-Joselu pairing combined again and the latter forced Getafe goalkeeper David Soria to push round the post.

Real’s only concern of the half came when Antonio Rudiger came off worst after a challenge on Mason Greenwood, leading to the limping Germany defender being withdrawn at half-time for Eduardo Camavinga.

Diego Rico, Juan Latasa and Jordi Martin were introduced at the beginning of the second half by Getafe, who saw Greenwood cut inside and clip the outside of the near post soon after the resumption.

But just as Getafe looked to be gaining some momentum, Real and Joselu doubled their tally to leave the hosts with a mountain to climb in the 56th minute.

Following some excellent build-up play from Bellingham and Ferland Mendy, Vinicius Junior fed Joselu on the edge of the box and the Spaniard took a touch before sending a left-foot shot past Soria.

Joselu passed up the chance to bag a hat-trick after being put through by Bellingham, unselfishly squaring for Vinicius, who only had to lift over Soria but shot directly at the Getafe custodian.

Federico Valverde and Bellingham were also denied by Soria while at the other end, Mayoral saw his shot cannon off the crossbar before Luis Milla directed his follow-up over.

Greenwood saw a deflected strike miss the target in added-on time as Getafe were unable to get on the scoresheet despite an improved attacking display after the break.

Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood was sent off as nine-man Getafe slipped to a 2-0 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men five minutes before the break as Real Madrid loanee Juanmi Latasa was handed a second booking and matters were made even worse when Sergio Camello put the visitors 1-0 to the good.

Camello doubled their lead two minutes after the interval and Greenwood was given a straight red card three minutes later for dissent after he appeared gesture how many times he had been fouled to referee Jorge Figueroa.

Greenwood became the eighth player to receive a red card for Getafe this season and a further red card was given to Damian Suarez from the bench after he had already been substituted in a heated clash as 11 cards were shown throughout the encounter.

Martin Zubimendi scored a stoppage time equaliser to rescue 10-man Real Sociedad a 1-1 draw with Deportivo Alaves.

Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro was sent off in the 36th minute after he handled the ball outside the area but the scores were level until the 76th minute when Luis Rioja put the away side 1-0 up from the penalty spot.

Alaves looked set for all three points until the sixth minute of stoppage time when Zubimendi latched onto a loose ball inside the area and buried an effort from inside the box.

Pepelu bagged a couple of penalties as Valencia sealed a second successive league victory with a 3-1 triumph over Villarreal.

Roman Yaremchuk scored his first goal in LaLiga to give Valencia the lead four minutes in and Pepelu twice bagged from the penalty spot in either haf, with Gerard Moreno’s second-half strike securing all three points.

In Italy, AC Milan progressed through to the quarter-final of the Coppa Italia with a convincing 4-1 victory over Cagliari at the San Siro.

Luka Jovic put the hosts in front on the half-hour mark when he slammed into the net from close range and he completed his brace just before the break after Theo Hernandez teed it up for a second time to Jovic, who diverted the ball in.

Milan made their lead unassailable in the 50th minute after Chaka Traore’s snapshot handed him a first senior Milan goal and Cagliari pulled one back late on through Paulo Azzi before Rafael Leao regained their three-goal cushion and booked their place in the next round.

Borja Mayoral scored an injury-time penalty as Getafe claimed a dramatic 3-3 draw at 10-man Atletico Madrid.

The home side saw Stefan Savic dismissed after 37 minutes before taking the lead on the stroke of half-time through Antoine Griezmann’s close-range finish.

Mayoral pulled one back for the visitors eight minutes into the second half – after Mason Greenwood’s shot was saved – but Alvaro Morata put Atletico back in the lead.

Griezmann then scored his second of the night from the penalty spot – drawing level with Atletico’s record scorer Luis Aragones on 173 strikes – to hand his side a two-goal advantage.

The hosts looked to be on course to take all three points, but Oscar Rodriguez handed Getafe a lifeline when he netted with three minutes of normal time remaining before Mayoral salvaged a remarkable point from the spot in the third minute of injury time.

Former Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores began his tenure as Sevilla manager with a 3-0 win at Granada.

Flores became Sevilla’s third manager of the season on Monday and goals from Adria Pedrosa, Lucas Ocampos and Sergio Ramos handed him a comfortable win.

In the night’s other La Liga fixture, Sergi Canos scored the only goal of the game as Valenica recorded a 1-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano.

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund could manage only a 1-1 draw with Mainz leaving them 12 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Julian Brandt netted a fine free-kick to hand the hosts the lead after 29 minutes, but Sepp van den Berg headed home shortly before the interval to deny Edin Terzic’s side three points.

The result leaves Dortmund without a win in their last six appearances in all competitions.

RB Leipzig missed an opportunity to draw level with second-placed Bayern Munich following a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen.

Lois Openda opened the scoring for the visitors just after half-time, but Justin Njinmah’s superb equaliser left rescued a point for Bremen.

Elsewhere, Tim Skarke scored twice as Darmstadt came from behind on three occasions to secure a 3-3 draw at Hoffenheim.