Only one week into the 2025–26 Ligue 1 season, one of the outstanding golf equipment in France is already embroiled in a significant inside battle involving one of many nationwide group’s stars and Kylian Mbappe’s teammate.
Final Friday, Olympique Marseille started their league marketing campaign with a 1–0 loss away at Rennes. Nevertheless, the outcome was shortly overshadowed by what occurred after the ultimate whistle: a heated altercation broke out within the locker room between Adrien Rabiot and his teammate Jonathan Rowe.
The battle escalated to the purpose that, within the hours following the incident, OM introduced that each gamers had been faraway from the squad, would take no additional half within the season, and that the membership could be open to switch gives for both participant.
The choice despatched shockwaves via Ligue 1, notably given Rabiot’s standing as one of many league’s prime stars, a key determine at Olympique Marseille, and an everyday for the French nationwide group—the place he completed as a runner-up on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar alongside stars reminiscent of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Antoine Griezmann.
Olympique Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
On Friday, head coach Roberto De Zerbi addressed the scenario in a press convention. “I’m not going to prostitute myself for a participant who helps us win matches,” he stated, in response to Diario AS. “I gained’t lose my dignity simply to keep away from shedding the championship. I’ll at all times help the membership… In a soccer membership, like wherever else, there must be a hierarchy. The membership comes first. Earlier than the gamers, there’s the coach and the membership.”
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De Zerbi reveals particulars of the battle between Rabiot and Rowe
In the identical press convention, De Zerbi admitted that what occurred within the locker room final Friday went past something he had skilled in his profession. “This battle—the place bodyguards needed to defend us and separate the gamers—it’s the one time I’ve seen one thing like that,” stated the Italian coach. “I come from the road, I’m used to this type of stuff. However seeing bodyguards defending us…”
He continued: “No enamel had been knocked out, however I’ve by no means seen something like this battle. I noticed the physician making an attempt to revive the opposite participant on the bottom, Rowe and Rabiot preventing… On the pitch it’s a must to present braveness. However not towards your individual teammates. Nobody ought to suppose they’re above the membership.”
Olympique Marseille’s determination to maneuver on from Rabiot
Adrien Rabiot joined Olympique Marseille a 12 months in the past after an extended stint with Juventus. In his first season with the membership, the midfielder was instrumental, scoring 10 targets in 31 matches. That makes the choice to take away him from the roster a major blow for the French aspect.
“Adrien is sorry. He feels the choice was too harsh, too extreme,” De Zerbi revealed. “I advised him that if he had been my son and I had been his coach, I’d have carried out the identical. Generally we endure, we make choices reluctantly — and that was the case right here. However generally responsibility comes first.”
Rabiot’s future is now unclear, with reviews linking him to a possible transfer to Al Ittihad within the Saudi Professional League, the place he would reunite with former France teammates Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante. Different hypothesis entails a possible swap deal between Barcelona and Olympique Marseille, which would come with Marc Casado.
