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

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Sam Wilson | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 10:50 AM ET

Benjamin Pavard left Inter this summer to complete a move to Ligue 1 side Marseille. Pavard joins Italian head coach Roberto De Zerbi at the French club and has spoken at a press conference where he compared his new coach to his former Inter boss Simone Inzaghi.

Speaking to the press, with quotes via RMC Sport , Pavard was asked what he thought of his new coach’s ‘volcanic’ personality, to which he replied “I think you’ve never seen Simone Inzaghi.”

Pavard continued, admitting “The first time I was in Italy, I thought he was crazy. But in reality, these are people who are passionate about their work.”

The defender then compared the Italian passion to that of the French, “It can be a bit surprising in France but they are true enthusiasts. I can’t wait to start this adventure with the coach.”

Pavard joins Marseille after 2 seasons with Inter

In the closing days of the transfer market, Pavard completed a loan move to Marseille, joining from Inter for a season and the Ligue 1 side having the option to make the transfer permanent for €15 million.

Pavard joined the Nerazzurri from Bundesliga side Bayern Munich in 2023 and made 70 appearances for the Serie A side in all competitions, scoring one goal in the Champions League against Bayern last season.

As Pavard joined Marseille, Inter signed Manuel Akanji in a similar deal to the one which saw Pavard return to France. Akanji joined the Nerazzurri on loan with an option to buy, that becomes an obligation if the Lombardy side win the Scudetto.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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