Cigarettes, Pyjamas, FaceTime—How a USMNT Star Learned to Love Marseille

Tim Weah has found himself a comfortable club situation under manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Tim Weah has quickly settled in with Marseille. | Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images

U.S. men’s national team attacker Tim Weah says a middle-of-the-night FaceTime call from manager Roberto De Zerbi and a quick embrace have helped him feel at home with Marseille, following a testing time with Serie A giants Juventus. 

Weah, 25, recalled De Zerbi’s pursuit of him in the summer, using a relatively untraditional method in the modern game, in order to land the American forward. 

“The coach really believed in me,” Weah told Téléfoot. “He called me at four in the morning in my pyjamas, on FaceTime. He was smoking, and he said, ‘Tim, you have to come here. You’ll see, this is your home.’ And at the airport, I was received as if I were at home.”

Since arriving in Marseille, Weah has become a key player in De Zerbi’s side and been embraced by the fanbase, going on to add that he is starting to feel “a bit like a Marseillais,” after just six months with his new club. 

This season, he has been a versatile attacking force, racking up two goals and two assists across 17 games in Ligue 1 action, while adding a goal and an assist in the UEFA Champions League. All told, it’s given him a sense of belonging, after admitting that he was a “broken player” by the time he stepped away from Juventus. 

“When I arrived here, they took on a player who was a bit broken, lacking in confidence,” he added. “Getting up in the morning was hard for me, going to training. Because things weren’t going well for me. So they took a chance on me.”

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Weah Hoping to Build Form for Famous 2026

Tim Weah has embraced life in Marseille. | Franco Arland/Getty Images

Given his success this season with Marseille, Weah, the son of former Ballon d’Or winner and Liberian Prime Minister, George Weah, hopes to translate his success at the 2026 World Cup when he dons the Stars and Stripes. 

Before that, he will keep his focus on the Ligue 1 season as Marseille look to find their way back into the automatic top three spots for Champions League qualification, currently sitting fourth with 39 points, behind Lyon on 42 points through 21 games each following a 5–0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

While the club didn’t advance to the knockout phase of the Champions League, there is still hope in the French Cup, where they are among the eight quarterfinalists after a round of 16 win over Rennes. 

"I want to stay at Olympique Marseille for a long time,” Weah added. “I give my all for this club, I want to win something here, and I hope to start this year. It would be a dream to win a trophy in my first season.”

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