Happy with move to Milan
©IMAGO
The scuffles between Adrien Rabiot (30) and Jonathan Rowe (22) in the dressing room of Olympique Marseille, which coach Roberto De Zerbi described as a bar fight, were the hot topic of Ligue 1 in the summer – and still resonate today. The duo subsequently had to leave OM, an incomprehensible decision for Rabiot that conveyed a false image.
“I’m sad because it shouldn’t have ended like this,” said the French international in an interview with “Téléfoot” a good two months after the incident. After Marseille’s opening defeat at Stade Rennes (0-1), Rabiot and Rowe clashed in the dressing room. The two players were initially excluded from the team due to “unacceptable behavior” and were shortly afterwards placed on the transfer list.
Rabiot, who ended up moving to AC Milan on deadline day, is still disappointed about the incident. “Because the decision is incomprehensible to everyone,” explained the 30-year-old. “Of all the people I spoke to, no one understood it. I didn’t understand it myself. That’s obviously something quite sad and frustrating.” In addition, the situation was communicated incorrectly by the club.
Rabiot sees the wrong image of Olympique Marseille being conveyed
Club president Pablo Longoria had spoken of an “extremely violent incident, something unheard of.” According to De Zerbi’s descriptions, it was a fight “like in an English pub.” Last Thursday, the OM coach reiterated that he had “never” experienced a brawl like the one between Rabiot and Rowe. “And I come from the street,” he emphasized in an interview with the newspaper “Corriere della Sera“.
“What bothered me was that they didn’t tell the truth about me. I was never a violent person, people know me, everyone can attest to that. I just don’t want people to have a bad image of me, a wrong image. That’s life in football, that’s life in general. You don’t always have everything under control,” explained Rabiot.
The midfielder assured: “I have always been at peace with myself because I do things out of conviction. I believe that I have always been sincere. I have always given 100 percent wherever I have been. I have never cheated. When it comes to my commitment and respect for others, I have always tried to do my best. And no one can take that away from me.”
After Marseille exit: Rabiot happy with move to AC Milan
While De Zerbi is of the opinion that it was “good” for Marseille that Rabiot left the club, the 56-time international player has settled in well with the Rossoneri. “The arrival in Milan went very well,” said Rabiot. “I have been integrated very well. I am satisfied. I have been playing for a month, we have achieved results. Everything is going well, it is really very positive.”
So far, Rabiot has not missed a minute in the Milan jersey, with four wins and one draw in five games. After a mixed year without a European Cup ticket, the Rossoneri started the new Serie A season well with third place. However, Rabiot’s market value fell from 25 million to 20 million euros in the most recent interim update.
Rabiot recalled that he was contacted by Milan early that summer, “even last season.” At that time, his contract with Juventus was not extended; it was only in September that he signed with OM as a professional without a club. He rejected the advances of “clubs with tempting offers” in order to concentrate instead on the “real project” in Marseille – until the inglorious end. In 32 games he contributed ten goals and six assists for Les Phocéens, and the sale to Milan brought in €7 million.