Marseille Duo's Row Was Like 'bar Fight' - De Zerbi

Marseille leader Roberto de Zerbi says Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe were placed on nan transportation list aft an altercation betwixt nan team-mates that was for illustration a "bar fight".

The incident occurred aft nan French nine suffered a 1-0 conclusion astatine Rennes successful their opening Ligue 1 fixture, pinch nan hosts scoring successful stoppage clip contempt being reduced to 10 men successful nan 31st minute.

"I inquire you this. What happens if, astatine your workplace, 2 people, 2 employees, 2 workers, 2 lawyers, get into a fight?" said De Zerbi.

"It was a barroom fight, successful beforehand of nan sporting director, successful beforehand of nan coach, pinch a team-mate connected nan crushed (Darryl Bakola, who was suffering a aesculapian emergency)."

The Italian, who took complete astatine Marseille successful 2024 aft leaving Brighton, added nan ferocity of nan confrontation shocked those present.

"It's existent that nary teeth were surgery during nan fight, but it was a conflict for illustration I've ne'er seen successful each my years successful football," said De Zerbi.

"For nan first clip successful my career, I didn't cognize what to opportunity aliases what to do. I've ne'er seen thing for illustration it. I travel from nan streets, I'm utilized to fights, but I've ne'er seen thing for illustration this.

"The club's bodyguards were trying to abstracted them. Normally they're expected to protect america from others, not from ourselves."

While Marseille president Pablo Longoria described nan incident arsenic "extremely violent," Rabiot's mother Veronique subsequently called nan club's determination to spot nan midfielder connected nan transportation database arsenic a "betrayal" and compared his business to Mason Greenwood joining nan club.

But De Zerbi responded: "The mother has forgotten 2 things. I decided to make him captain... and successful 1 year, I gave her boy much attraction and affection than I did my ain son.

"For Rabiot's mother to opportunity that we gave Greenwood a 2nd chance, that's crazy. We're talking astir backstage life here. It's not adjacent to talk astir different people. We're talking astir a conflict successful a workplace."

England Under-21 world Rowe signed for Marseille from Norwich connected an first indebtedness successful August 2024, earlier making nan move imperishable this summer. The 22-year-old forward, who has 3 goals successful 31 appearances for nan club, has been linked to Bologna.

Former Paris St-Germain subordinate Rabiot joined Marseille past September connected a free transportation aft 5 years astatine Juventus, and has scored 10 times successful 32 games.

The 30-year-old, capped 53 times by France, has been linked pinch Monaco and besides Manchester United, who are keen to motion a protect midfielder.