Following the recent altercation between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe after Marseille`s defeat to Rennes, the club`s director of football, Medhi Benatia, has publicly expressed his growing frustration regarding the squad`s conduct, which has been problematic since the very start of pre-season.
Benatia revealed that the coaching staff has been contending with persistent issues, including poor punctuality, a general lack of professionalism, and outstanding fines, ever since the squad resumed training in July. He candidly remarked:
“There`s so much passion and affection here that perhaps some players believed they could be tardy or behave unprofessionally. We`ve been combating this from day one.”
In an effort to curb what Benatia described as a rising tide of indiscipline, Marseille`s leadership, including President Pablo Longoria and coach Roberto De Zerbi, convened a team meeting on August 5th. However, the message delivered did not fully resonate with all players. Benatia further highlighted a specific instance of non-compliance:
“When we insisted that all outstanding fines be paid to captain Balerdi before our trip to Rennes, that also failed to materialize.”
The former Juventus defender pointed to a disturbing trend where players are increasingly challenging the club`s internal regulations. This includes fundamental requirements such as daily medical checks and logistical arrangements for travel. This pattern of defiance has significantly unsettled the team`s environment, despite what was otherwise a successful summer transfer window and securing a spot in the Champions League.
“Simply because we qualified for the Champions League, suddenly everything – meetings, travel, medical examinations – is open for discussion,” Benatia explained. “We tried to tell them: `Guys, what we`re doing is for your own benefit.`”
This escalating lack of adherence to club standards culminated in Friday`s heated confrontation between Rabiot and Rowe. Benatia stated that this incident left the club with no alternative but to implement strict measures. He concluded:
“You arrive in Rennes, it’s the first game of the season, everything was prepared, and then you have this kind of fight. We decided to impose strong sanctions – because when such behavior occurs, it cannot be ignored.”