14 hours ago
England U21 hero suspended by club after clash with team-mate after brutal defeat
Marseille played with a man advantage for more than half of their Ligue 1 opener against Rennes but still lost, with players getting into heated arguments after the game
England Under-21 star Jonathan Rowe and team-mate Adrien Rabiot have been temporarily suspended from Marseille's first team, it has been claimed. The pair are alleged to have clashed after L'OM's opening game of the Ligue 1 season against Rennes.
Rowe had a fantastic start to the summer, scoring the winner as the Young Lions beat Germany to win the Under-21 Euros. It came off the back of a three-goal season in France, with Marseille making his loan move permanent in the close-season.
The former Norwich star's first league game since his permanent switch was one to forget, though. Marseille dominated possession against their 10-man opponents but were hit by a sucker punch late on as Ludovic Blas came off the bench to score the winner for Rennes.
According to RMC Sport (via GFFN), tempers were frayed in the L'OM dressing room after the match. Rowe and Rabiot are said to have been at the forefront of the heated discussions, with staff and team-mates forced to step in.
Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi is understood to have banned the pair from first team training on Monday. There have also been suggestions both could be asked to make donations to the club's foundation, though their suspensions are expected to be lifted before the next league outing.
Rowe was one of three English players to make permanent moves to Stade Velodrome over the summer. Fellow Under-21 star Angel Gomes arrived from Lille, while centre-back CJ Egan-Riley joined on a free from Burnley after helping the Clarets win possession.
Former Premier League forward Mason Greenwood is also still at the club after top-scoring last season. The ex-Manchester United man, who has one cap for England, is expected to finally make a first appearance for Jamaica following a request to switch national teams.
While Marseille's frustrations have been well-documented, their opponents were celebrating a battling victory. Rennes boss Habib Beye, who made more than 150 Marseille appearances in his own playing career, hailed the character of his squad.
"I'm very proud of the team. When you're in a situation like this, it's never easy, especially against OM," Beye said. "We worked for seven weeks to improve our mindset, which we had already established last season.
"We knew during our preparations that we wouldn't necessarily have possession of the ball, but we also knew that we had the ability to hurt them badly and cause them major problems. We all worked very hard together.
"The scenario changed with the red card, but we remained focused on our game plan. The opportunity smiled on Ludovic Blas and the whole team, who were almost heroic, I would say, and above all fantastic."
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