The heated confrontation with Rowe after the defeat in Rennes definitively fractured the relationship between OM and the French player.
The relationship is definitively broken. A high-tension argument in the locker room, occurring last Friday after the defeat in Rennes, has shattered the bond between Adrien Rabiot and Marseille, compromising the start of what promised to be an ambitious season. The former Bianconero player is now on the market, a decision made by the club`s management with the approval of coach De Zerbi. A true Marseille-style plot twist. For the midfielder, who is under contract until 2026, a return to Italy is not out of the question, as Véronique Rabiot, his mother and long-time career manager, explained to Gazzetta.
Disciplinary Action
As of yesterday, Rabiot has been excluded from the squad alongside Rowe, with whom he had an altercation on Friday. The Frenchman, visibly frustrated by the 1-0 defeat in Brittany, demanded more effort, specifically from the English player, who reacted vehemently in turn. The two exchanged heavy insults and nearly came to blows. Coach De Zerbi, along with sporting director Benatia and other players, had to intervene to separate them. This outburst shook the team and prompted the management to take action, excluding both players from training. While Rowe had already been on the market for some time, Rabiot has now also been informed that, given the incident, he is no longer part of the club`s project. The player has therefore been asked to find a new club by the end of August.
Future Prospects
The club justifies this decision as a disciplinary consequence of Friday`s events. However, according to Véronique Rabiot, “the management communicated that De Zerbi no longer counts on the midfielder because he reproaches him for a decrease in commitment since the summer training camp in the Netherlands.” The French international, who built his reputation as an irreproachable professional at Juventus, where he also served as captain, had decided to renew for another season with Marseille until June, after contributing to their second-place finish which secured Champions League qualification. At 30 years old, there will certainly be no shortage of offers for one of the most prominent midfielders, and a key player for Deschamps` France ahead of next year`s World Cup. Véronique Rabiot thus clarified that she has requested the player be officially placed on the transfer list, and that “opportunities and projects from Italy, as well as from Spain and England,” will certainly not be excluded.
