- Marseille held by Strasbourg last Sunday
- Balerdi was sent off in the match
- Fan started hunger strike to force him to leave the club
WHAT HAPPENED? Former Boca Juniors star Balerdi was shown a red card after he shoved Habib Diallo with the striker through on goal during Marseille's 2-2 draw against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Sunday. Supporters were evidently unhappy with the result as it left them 10 points adrift of league leaders Paris Saint-Germain, with one fan even going on a hunger strike to protest Balerdi's place in the squad outside the Robert Louis-Dreyfus training centre. He held up a cardboard side that read: "The people of Marseille don't want you anymore, respect us, thank you".
Guendouzi stood up for his team-mate and confronted the supporter, forcing him to leave his spot while insisting that "everyone makes mistakes" in his attempt to diffuse the situation.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Balerdi is going through a rough patch of form as the defender also underperformed in Marseille’s 3-0 loss to PSG last month and missed the decisive penalty in their shootout defeat against Annecy in the Coupe de France. However, he has been a regular at the back under Igor Tudor and has a contract until 2026.
WHAT NEXT FOR BALERDI? The defender will be unavailable for Marseille's next two games against Reims and Montpellier due to suspension.
