The chaos that followed last Friday's dismal defeat at Rennes is likely to lead to two players leaving the club
Fights between team-mates are more frequent than most fans think. Footballers are, by their very nature, competitive characters and emotions regularly run high at the very highest level, especially when under-pressure players are competing for major honours – and starting spots.
It's not uncommon, then, for arguments to break out on the training pitch or in the dressing room. In the past, we've even famously seen colleagues come to blows on the pitch, with Kieron Dyer versus Lee Bowyer probably the most famous example in Premier League history.
Of course, such spats can sometimes be a good thing for a squad, as they have the capacity to clear the air by allowing for a release of tension in a struggling team. It would be difficult, though, to portray Marseille's post-match meltdown on Friday as anything other than a very troubling development for Roberto De Zerbi and his players.
Indeed, the incident is being taken so seriously by the French club that Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe are both expected to be sold for their respective role in the dressing-room row in Rennes, while legitimate questions are also now being asked over the coach's ability to restore order at Marseille…
AFPOpening-round setback
De Zerbi's first season in charge at the Stade Velodrome was typically turbulent but nonetheless encouraging, with the outspoken Italian leading OM back into the Champions League via a creditable runners-up finish in Ligue 1. Given the club backed the manager in the market during the summer, making a plethora of exciting signings, including Angel Gomes, Facundo Medina and Igor Paixao, there was actual talk of Marseille being able to mount a legitimate title challenge this time around to perennial champions Paris Saint-Germain.
However, optimism has given way to outrage after the abysmal season-opening loss at Roazhon Park. Despite seeing their hosts reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal just after the half-hour mark, Marseille failed dismally to break down Rennes and were hit by a stunning sucker-punch in the 91st minute, when an unmarked Ludovic Blas raced away to score the game's only goal.
AdvertisementAFP'We have small balls'
As if that weren't bad enough, all hell then broke loose when Marseille's disgruntled players returned to the visiting dressing room.
The precise nature of the clashes remains a subject of great debate. However, journalists waiting in the nearby mixed zone claim to have heard a major commotion in the Marseille dressing room allegedly caused by a confrontation between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe, who some sources claim actually struck his team-mate after being accused of a lack of effort.
A disgusted De Zerbi also reportedly told his players, "The others beat us on the pitch, and we come in here and fight among ourselves. You know what that means? That we have small balls. In Marseille, we need to have big ones."
AFP'Unacceptable behaviour'
According to , De Zerbi also warned his warring players, "This is the last time this will happen." And the full significance of that statement would only become clear afterwards.
Although both Rabiot and Rowe were promptly suspended for their role in the dressing-room dust-up, meaning neither player was allowed to train with their team-mates on Monday morning, it was thought that they would be quickly welcomed back into the fold – most likely after making a donation to the club's foundation as a form of punishment.
However, according to , De Zerbi made it clear to sporting director Mehdi Benatia, who had helped the coach break up the scuffle, and president Pablo Longoria that he no longer wanted either player at the club. As a result, Marseille placed both Rabiot and Rowe on the transfer list on Monday evening "due to unacceptable behaviour in the dressing room after the match against Stade Rennais FC, in consultation with the coaching staff and in accordance with the club's internal code of conduct."
Getty'Incomprehensible'
Even though Rowe only completed a permanent move to Marseille during the summer, the forward – who scored the winning goal for England Under-21s in their European Championship final back in June – appears to have no issue with moving on and has apparently already agreed to join Serie A side Bologna.
However, Rabiot and his representatives are less than impressed with how the entire episode has been handled. The France international's mother and agent, Veronique, is said to be unhappy with Benatia's lack of communication and clarity on the matter, as well as reports that De Zerbi cited a perceived "lack of commitment" as another reason for getting rid of Rabiot.
It's certainly surprising that the Marseille boss is seemingly so keen to sell the midfielder, given Rabiot was one of the team's most influential players last season and considered such a key figure within the squad.
As Rabiot's lawyer, Romuald Palao, told , "It's incomprehensible. Adrien has been extremely involved in the Marseille project for almost a year, and he’s very attached to it. Adrien thought that when he came back after the weekend, everyone would have moved on and resumed training. So, when we learned that he was on the transfer list, we were clearly stunned."
