It wouldn’t be a Ligue 1 season without some controversy coming out of Marseille, although few would have predicted it would happen after just one game. Jonathan Rowe, 22, and Andrien Rabiot, 30, have both been told to find new club’s following a dressing room scrap.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side fell to a frustrating defeat to ten-men Rennes in their first league game of the season on Friday (August 15), thanks to a 91st minute goal from Ludovic Blas, who had only been on the pitch for about five minutes.
Marseille dominated the game, ending with 72% possession, 24 total shots, and an xG of 1.79, although they never really looked like breaking down a stubborn Rennes defence. As the player’s entered their dressing room, tensions finally boiled over.
How did it all start?
According to journalist Romain Molina, it was goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli who started the whole thing, lashing out at Rowe for his lack of defensive output during the defeat to Rennes, calling him all sorts of names in Spanish.
Rabiot then stepped in to try and calm things down but ended up making things worse, throwing the first punch, to which Rowe responded in kind, before a ten minute ‘street fight’ ensued.
Security was then forced to intervene and the two were split up, but they kept going at each other, launching insults and threats as a stunned dressing room watched on. Apparently 17-year-old Darryl Bakola fainted during the melee.
The consequences of their actions
Frustrated by a lack of making up, Marseille released an incredible statement saying that the two players’ “unacceptable behaviour” had seen them transfer listed “in agreement with the technical staff and in accordance with the club's internal code of conduct.”
They were both told to find new clubs on Monday (August 18), ending their time at Marseille after just one season. Rowe joined from Championship side Norwich on an initial loan with an obligation to buy, which was activated this summer, for £17 million.
Rabiot joined as a free agent in September after five years with Italian side Juventus and went on to be a key player for De Zerbi, starting 29 out of 31 games in all competitions and recording 10 goals and five assists.
Marseille president Pablo Longoria weighs in on “extremely violent” scene
Chances are, if you’re the president of Marseille, you’ve had to deal with some unique issues. Longoria, who has has served as the president of the French giants since February 2021, had never experienced anything like it.
"What happened was extremely serious and extremely violent, something I've never encountered before," Longoria told AFP.
"We had to take a decision because what happened went way beyond what is acceptable in a football club, as it would be in any organisation."
"I wasn't in the dressing room but the staff told me it was incredible, violent, aggressive and went beyond any limits," he added.
What next for Rowe and Rabiot?
The English winger appears to have already found a new club. Journalist Santi Aouna has reported that Serie A side Bologna have agreed a deal of €19m plus a 10% sell-on clause for Rowe.
Rabiot may be a little harder to shift. Not only does he earn a reported €6.36 million per-year at the club, his mother/agent, Veronique, has a reputation for being particularly demanding and tricky to work with.
According to Alfredo Pedulla, the midfielder has offered his services to former club Juventus, but director Cristiano Giuntoli, who couldn’t agree terms with Rabiot last summer, is pushing the club to sign Brighton’s Matt O’Riley instead.