Marseille and Roberto de Zerbi face accusations of hypocrisy after the mother of Adrien Rabiot criticised the club in the wake of a dressing room clash.
Rabiot and English teammate Jonathan Rowe became involved in a heated argument after their 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Rennes.
Marseille president Pablo Longoria revealed the altercation turned “extremely violent,” forcing security to intervene and break it up.
Both players were swiftly suspended from Roberto De Zerbi’s squad and instructed to look for new clubs.
Rowe is already close to sealing a move to Italian side Bologna.
At the same time, Adrien Rabiot’s mother, Veronique, gave a fiery interview in which she launched strong criticism at Marseille.
“When I learned about his suspension, it was like being struck on the head,” she told RMC.
“It couldn’t have just been because of that altercation. I feel uneasy because he has done so much for Marseille and yet this is how they treat him.
“Adrien is not angry, but very disappointed. De Zerbi talks about betrayal, but if anyone has been betrayed, it’s Adrien.
“I never expected this to happen, I thought the worst was at PSG but I was wrong. If he misses an entire season, it will be catastrophic.
“We have already gone through this once and we don’t want it to happen again.”
Rabiot made 227 appearances for PSG between 2012 and 2019, but when he returned to the club last season, he and his family were targeted with vile chants from fans.
Veronique Rabiot went on to bring former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood into the dispute.
Greenwood, who is now at Marseille, is not thought to have played any part in the dressing room incident.
“When Mason Greenwood signed, De Zerbi said he could be given a second chance,” she added.
“I agree with giving people second chances, but would my son be the only one not entitled to one?”
Greenwood joined Marseille in July 2024 from Manchester United in a £26.6m deal.
He was charged with attempted rape and assault in October 2022, but the case was dropped in February 2023.
Greenwood firmly denied all allegations made against him.
Marseille president Longoria spoke out soon after the incident, explaining the reasons behind the club’s firm and decisive response against the two players involved in the altercation.
“We had to make a decision after an event that went beyond acceptable limits in a football club,’ he told AFP.
“[The club made] a decision that protects the institution, that protects the season. Roberto De Zerbi has been coaching for 13 years, Medhi Benatia [their sporting director] has been in top-level football since he was 22, I started professional football 20 years ago.
“I think the three of us have enough experience to say that we have never seen anything like this in a locker room.
“Do you think that I, the president of Olympique de Marseille, am happy to arrive in this type of situation with one of the most successful players of last season and whom I presented as an example?
“Honestly, as a club, we are suffering the situation. We are the victim of a situation, a fight without limits, which is completely unheard of in the world of football.”
