Just days after completing his free transfer from Lens to Saudi club NEOM, Malang Sarr found himself in a dangerous situation in the Spanish city of Marbella. A group of men sent by one of his former agents confronted him inside a hotel.
The 27-year-old NEOM defender walked into what "L'Équipe" described as an "ambush" over the summer. His team were staying at a luxury five-star hotel in Marbella for a pre-season training camp held between 10 and 31 July.
According to information reported by "Le Parisien" from L'Équipe, the incident unfolded only days after Sarr signed with NEOM. A group of French men headed to the restaurant hall reserved for the Saudi delegation to look for him. They threatened some of the witnesses, then forcibly led the player away and slapped him on the staircase leading to the bar. There, the group launched into a heated, loud argument that shocked those present.
Sarr himself told "L'Équipe" that he had not been assaulted. Several of the hotel's guests reported witnessing the tense argument near the bar.
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A commission that ignited the dispute
The trouble traces back to a financial dispute. One of Sarr's former agents felt he had been wronged after the player's transfer to NEOM, a deal that will earn the French defender around 15 million euros net after tax, between salary and bonuses.
Having received no commission, the former agent believed his role in completing the deal deserved a financial reward, and felt aggrieved at missing out on such a significant opportunity. Sarr refused to pay any compensation, despite the pressure he came under, according to the newspaper.
Those who stormed the hotel spotted the surveillance cameras inside and left, minutes before the Spanish police arrived.
Sarr did not report the incident. He carried on as normal, becoming one of the key players in Christophe Galtier's NEOM side and featuring in all eight of the Saudi team's matches since the start of the season.