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OFFICIAL: De Zerbi axes duo as Marseille IMPLODE after dressing room bust-up
Tom Weber
- Updated: 19 Aug 2025 17:58 BST
- 5 min read
Breaking
Olympique de Marseille are once again in complete meltdown mode following a dressing room bust-up between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe.
The Ligue 1 giants have become notorious in recent years for constantly making negative headlines, and those who had hoped that the days of controversy were over under the Mehdi Benatia and Roberto de Zerbi regime have been sorely mistaken.
There just seems to be something about Marseille that attracts drama, and both Benatia and De Zerbi have, for better or worse, embraced the chaos. President Pablo Longoria, too, has been in the news more than he is comfortable with.
Compared
Adrien Rabiot
M (C)
Marseille
Adrien Rabiot
M (C)
Marseille
VS
Jonathan Rowe
F (L), M (RL)
Marseille
Jonathan Rowe
F (L), M (RL)
Marseille
|
|
ETV |
|
| €12.7M - €15.5M | ETV Range | €13.7M - €16.7M |
| 30 years old (03 Apr, 1995) | Age | 22 years old (30 Apr, 2003) |
|
France
|
Nationality |
England
|
Last season, Marseille felt wronged by referees on several occasions, which led to suspensions for both Longoria and Benatia, with the former accusing Ligue 1 officials of being corrupt.
De Zerbi, meanwhile, threatened to quit the club just a few months into his managerial spell after a disappointing result against Auxerre in November. Now, with the new season having kicked off, Marseille are already in meltdown after just one game.
Duo transfer listed after dressing room altercation
Marseille suffered a chastening 1-0 defeat in the opening match of the new Ligue 1 campaign on Friday, thus getting off to the worst possible start in what some optimistic fans had hoped would be a season of challenging PSG for the title.
After the game, Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot reportedly confronted teammate Jonathan Rowe in the dressing room, which led to a heated altercation that saw punches being thrown.
Both players have since been removed from team training and transfer-listed. Rowe's future at the club had been uncertain for a while, with the former Norwich star attracting interest from Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Premier League.
However, Marseille have now confirmed that Rabiot, too, has been made available for transfer by Roberto de Zerbi, who no longer wants to utilise the France international. "Olympique de Marseille announces that Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe have been placed on the transfer list by the club," an official statement read.
"This decision was taken due to unacceptable behaviour in the dressing room after the match against Stade Rennais FC, in agreement with the technical staff and in accordance with the club's internal code of conduct. The decision was communicated to the two players by the club on Monday."
AC Milan have been linked with a move for Rabiot following the appointment of his former Juventus mentor Massimiliano Allegri, but a deal this summer initially appeared unlikely. Now, the situation has completely changed in the wake of Marseille's dressing room implosion.
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