Roberto De Zerbi slams 'pub fight' between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe while team-mate was knocked out as Marseille boss defends 'forced and fair' decision to get rid of pair

De Zerbi spoke for the first time in the aftermath of Marseille’s decision to list Rabiot and Rowe on the transfer market and endorsed the club’s decision. The Italian cited that what the club did was “necessary” and revealed that the duo’s altercation left one of their team-mates “unconscious.”

Marseille’s season began under a cloud of controversy after their defeat to Rennes in Ligue 1’s curtain-raiser was overshadowed by an explosive incident off the pitch. In the aftermath of the loss, Rabiot and Rowe clashed in a heated exchange that spiraled into physical confrontation, leaving the club with little choice but to intervene. Both players were swiftly suspended and subsequently placed on the transfer list as disciplinary measures. Reflecting the gravity of the situation, club president Pablo Longoria did not mince words, calling the episode “completely unheard of in the world of football.” In fact, the brawl between the two Marseille players turned ugly to the extent that it needed the interference of security personnel to help calm things down. De Zerbi says 17-year-old Darryl Bakola was caught up in the melee and was knocked unconscious. 

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, De Zerbi said: "I played football for a long time, I've been in the game for over 30 years. I'm used to talking about what goes on in the locker room. But I think we need to sort things out a bit, it's necessary. In any workplace, if two employees are fighting, like in a pub, with a teammate who was on the ground because he had lost consciousness, what should the employer do? Either suspension or dismissal.

"Medhi Benatia, Pablo Longoria, and I spoke on the phone this weekend and waited until Monday before communicating a clear decision: to remove these two players from the squad while waiting to see if either of them felt any regret. In a football club, a workplace, there must be a hierarchy, and the club must come before them. It was a forced choice, and a fair decision. A temporary choice to understand how things would have unfolded later. The bodyguards who were supposed to protect us still had to separate the players.

"We could have said: 'you shake hands and that's it.' But I don't lose my dignity, whether it's for a match or a Championship. I support the club's decision. They didn't break any teeth, but it was a real fight, a brawl, the likes of which I've never seen in so many years of my career. While Darryl Bakola was on the ground and had lost consciousness..."

Rabiot and Rowe have not been called up by De Zerbi for the game against Paris FC on Saturday. The English attacker is nearing a move to Serie A side Bologna amid interest from Roma and the Premier League. Meanwhile, the Frenchman was expected to play a pivotal role under the ex-Brighton head coach this season, with Les Olympiens returning to the Champions League. Now, with the club deciding to sell the midfielder, speculation suggests that a return to Juventus could be on the cards, while Inter are also keeping tabs. Marseille’s actions have drawn the ire of Rabiot’s mother Veronique –– known for her outspoken nature –– who said that the Ligue 1 side have double standards.