Former Inter defender Pavard on De Zerbi passion: ‘You’ve never seen Inzaghi’

Benjamin Pavard has left Inter Milan to join Ligue 1 club Marseille this summer. He will be working under Italian head coach Roberto De Zerbi and, in a press conference, compared his new manager's intense personality to that of his former Inter boss Simone Inzaghi.

When asked about De Zerbi's "volcanic" character, Pavard remarked, "I think you’ve never seen Simone Inzaghi." He admitted that during his initial time in Italy, he thought Inzaghi was crazy, but later realized that such coaches are deeply passionate about their work. Pavard also contrasted Italian passion with French reactions, noting that such enthusiasm can be surprising in France but emphasized his excitement to begin this new chapter with De Zerbi.

The transfer was finalized as a loan move to Marseille in the closing days of the transfer window. The deal includes an option for Marseille to make the transfer permanent for €15 million.

Pavard originally joined Inter from Bayern Munich in 2023 and made 70 appearances across all competitions, scoring one Champions League goal. As Pavard departed, Inter signed Manuel Akanji on a loan with an option to buy, which becomes mandatory if Inter wins the Serie A title.