Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has reportedly been shortlisted to succeed Roberto De Zerbi at Olympique Marseille following the Italian’s exit by mutual consent on Tuesday.
Journalist Lassana Camara revealed that Chelle is among several candidates being considered, alongside former Marseille captain Habib Beye, who most recently managed Stade Rennais.
“The name of Eric Chelle, coach of the Nigeria national team, is circulating to replace Roberto De Zerbi. Habib Beye, former Marseille captain recently let go by Rennes, is also among the candidates,” Camara wrote on X.
De Zerbi’s departure came after Marseille suffered a 5–0 defeat to champions Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend, leaving the club fourth in Ligue 1 and 12 points behind the leaders.
The Italian had taken charge two years ago after leaving Premier League side Brighton, guiding Marseille to a second-place finish in the 2024/25 season.
Amid growing links between Chelle and the Ligue 1 side, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Ibrahim Gusau stressed that the Franco-Malian coach remains under contract with the Super Eagles for another year.
“We still have a one-year contract with Eric, and therefore, whatever anyone shows on him, he has to wait until his contract expires. We don’t want to bring any distraction to him because we understand that he enjoys working with Nigeria,” Gusau said.
Chelle recently led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
