Rio Ferdinand has made it clear who he wants as the next Manchester United manager
Rio Ferdinand’s call for Manchester United to appoint one of his favourite managers has moved a step closer to reality.
While his former United teammate Michael Carrick has impressed in his spell as caretaker boss, Ferdinand has long championed former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, who reportedly held confidential discussions with the club in 2024 before joining Marseille.
Ferdinand expressed his admiration for the Italian back in January during a debate over potential successors to the dismissed Ruben Amorim. On his Rio Presents podcast, he said “Someone who’s free right now; not free [but] someone who’s gettable.
“More than someone like [Thomas] Tuchel, because Tuchel would be one of my biggest picks as well, is De Zerbi. I’m telling you. Any formation he wants to play, the guy is a proper coach who gets players working and playing.”
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While Tuchel appears unavailable following his England contract extension, De Zerbi has become an even more realistic prospect after departing Marseille by mutual consent amid reports of disagreements with senior squad members, who were said to be unhappy with his training methods and demanding style.
Marseille, currently sitting fourth in Ligue 1 and trailing PSG by 12 points, released a statement saying: “Following discussions between all stakeholders in the club’s management – the owner, president, director of football, and coach – it was decided to make a change at the helm of the first team.
“This was a difficult collective decision, taken after careful consideration in the best interests of the club, in order to respond to the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”
De Zerbi has reportedly had confrontations with senior management at former clubs. When questioned about whether United require a combative manager, Ferdinand remained steadfast, declaring: “I’d bring fire to the party, I’m telling you.
“I’d bring fire… I wouldn’t bring craziness, but I’d bring [in] someone who’s bringing that fire, that passion. But really, really backed up by someone who’s shown that they can coach the life out of a team. They can coach the hell out of a team.
“They can coach individuals, improve players and can really put down a way of playing football. I really do believe you need someone who is strong on their own identity.”
United face competition for De Zerbi’s signature, with the Italian also emerging as a candidate for the Tottenham job following Thomas Frank’s departure. Spurs have installed former Juventus manager Igor Tudor on an interim basis until the end of the season while they consider their long-term managerial options.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.