Rabiot and Rowe clash in Marseille dressing room punch-up | OneFootball

The Olympique de Marseille surprised everyone last week by officially announcing that players Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe had been put on the transfer list. The decision, made along with the technical staff, is in response to a violent incident that occurred in the locker room after the 1-0 defeat against Rennes, in the opening of Ligue 1.

According to French media, everything started when Rabiot (30 years old) and other experienced players in the squad reproached Rowe (22) for his lack of attitude on the pitch. The discussion heated up and ended in fists, a tense situation that required the intervention of the club's security personnel. In the midst of the chaos, the young Darryl Bakola, 17 years old, collapsed and had to be assisted by doctors. It's worth noting that Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina, and Gerónimo Rulli are the three Argentines on the team.

In an interview with AFP, the club's president, Pablo Longoria, described what happened as "an event of extreme gravity and violence". Although he did not witness the altercation —since he is banned from entering the locker room due to a sanction—, he supported the sanction along with sports director Mehdi Benatia and coach Roberto De Zerbi. "We've never seen anything like this in our careers", he stated.

"We had to make a decision after an incident that exceeded what is acceptable in a football club, like in any organization", explained the Spaniard. "De Zerbi has been a coach for 13 years, (sports director) Benatia has been in high-level football since he was 22, and I started in professional football at 20. I think the three of us have enough experience to say that we've never seen anything like this in a locker room".

Benatia agreed with Longoria in statements to RMC Sport: "It was chaos, I've never seen anything like it. You can get heated, but you can't reach physical aggression, a punch, having to call security to separate them...". Additionally, the Moroccan emphasized that the players worsened their situation by not apologizing in the 48 hours following the incident.

De Zerbi fully supported the club's stance in his press conference on Friday: "In a workplace, you have two employees fighting, like they're in an English pub, and a teammate lying on the floor because he lost consciousness", he said.

Both players were immediately removed from the squad, while the management seeks a way out for each of them. In Rowe's case, his departure was already being evaluated. The Englishman had arrived from Norwich and was key in the European Under-21 title, but had lost ground with the arrival of Brazilian Igor Paixao, the club's record signing. Finally, his transfer to Bologna was confirmed.

Rabiot's situation is more complex. The former Juventus player was a reference point for the team and had been key in the Champions League qualification. He accepted a salary reduction to join the project and was even praised in a club documentary series. However, after the incident, his continuation was ruled out. His mother and agent, Veronique Rabiot, questioned the decision: "There was a discussion, yes, but the sanction is disproportionate. No one was injured".

From the management, they assure that there are no economic interests behind the measure. In fact, according to what they explained, they were negotiating a contract renewal with Rabiot before the conflict. Despite this, it is expected that he will leave in this market: he has a contract until June and from January, he will be able to negotiate as a free agent.

Meanwhile, De Zerbi supported the decision in a press conference. "This is not an English pub, it's a workplace", he said. Additionally, he criticized that none of those involved apologized after the fight. "In a club, the hierarchy is clear: there's the coach, then the players", he sentenced.

This new scandal sets off alarms in Marseille. There have already been other episodes of tension in De Zerbi's previous stage, including a threat of resignation after a defeat against Auxerre. In that context, with PSG on the horizon and the visit of Paris FC on the horizon, the atmosphere at the Velodrome is once again charged with electricity.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.