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Canada's head coach Jesse Marsch criticized Tottenham's Roberto De Zerbi for his treatment of player Ismaël Koné, calling him an 'a------'. Marsch is known for his candid remarks and has been in charge of the Canadian national team since May 2024.
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Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has accused Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi of being an 'a------' towards Ismaël Koné at Marseille -Credit:Emilee Chinn - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
(Emilee Chinn - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Canadian national team head coach Jesse Marsch is not usually one to shy away from speaking his mind, and this time around, it has led him to call out newly appointed Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi.
In charge of the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosts since May 2024, following stints with Leeds United and RB Leipzig, former U.S. Menâs National Team midfielder Marsch was recently asked to delve into which players he feels have improved most since he took on the role.
Marsch highlighted Niko Sigur of Hajduk Split as well as Richie Laryea of Toronto FC before moving on to Sassuoloâs IsmaĂ«l KonĂ©.
Jesse Marsch accused Roberto De Zerbi of being an 'a------' in his treatment of player Ismaël Koné.
Ismaël Koné is a player whose treatment by Tottenham's Roberto De Zerbi was criticized by Jesse Marsch.
Jesse Marsch became the head coach of the Canadian national team in May 2024.
Before coaching Canada, Jesse Marsch managed Leeds United and RB Leipzig.

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Marsch felt De Zerbi treated Ismaël Koné poorly during the midfielder's brief stint at Marseille -Credit:Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
Discussing the 23-year-old midfielder, who previously played under De Zerbi at Marseille, Marsch said on the âCall It What You Wantâ podcast, âWhen I took over the team, I think IsmaĂ«l was a raw, talented person.
âAnd since then, I've talked to him a lot about discipline and concentration and everything from what that means in his daily life, in his nutrition, in his sleep habits, in the way he trains and the way he shows up every day, in the way he plays, in his overall intelligence.
âGoing to Italy and playing for a team that was newly promoted, and having to fight through a situation like that in a very organized league, he's played an incredibly important role in that team, theyâve had a great year, heâs had an incredible year.
âSo I mean, it would probably be easy to say that IsmaĂ«l is the one.
âNot just from what I've done with him and what the national team has done with him but also what he's been able to achieve in his career, and the steps he's been able to make through difficulty I might add.
âBecause it wasn't easy with De Zerbi in Marseille. De Zerbi was a real, real aâ--- with him, and he stayed strong. He never doubted himself. He found a new situation, and now look at him flourishing.
âLet me reiterate. De Zerbi was a real aâ--- with him.â
In January 2025, during the Canadianâs sole season at the club, De Zerbi said of KonĂ©, via TSN, âWe wanted this player, heâs very strong, heâs a good lad, but⊠over the last few months, he hasnât shown me that heâs capable of being part of this project. Heâs got a lot of competition.â
The following month, Koné joined fellow Ligue 1 side Rennes through the end of the season on loan, before joining Sassuolo that summer.
But the true extent of the breakdown in their relationship only came out in August 2025, when Marseille released training ground footage showing De Zerbi laying into Koné, dismissing him from training for taking too many touches during an exercise.
De Zerbi is now in charge of Tottenham Hotspur -Credit:Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
As KonĂ© walked away, De Zerbi could be heard yelling at him to âCall your agent!â with the two ultimately having to be separated.
Now in Italy, KonĂ© has played a pivotal role in Sassuoloâs season, making 33 appearances in all competitions and scoring on six occasions, with Fabio Grossoâs side currently 10th in the league.
De Zerbiâs time in Marseille came to an end in February 2026, taking charge of a relegation-threatened Spurs side in late March.