Habib Beye and Himad Abdelli had a verbal altercation after the draw against OM facing OGC Nice on Sunday in Ligue 1 (1-1). The Marseille coach blamed his midfielder for losing a ball that led to Nice’s equalizer and the former Angers player did not appreciate it.
A week after the fiasco in Lorient and the huge anger of Medhi Benatia, OM experienced another difficult evening by conceding a draw against OGC Nice on Sunday, closing the 31st day of Ligue 1 (1-1). After leading the score thanks to a goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the Marseille club was caught in the final moments by a penalty converted by Elye Wahi, a former Marseille player.
This cruel scenario led to tensions in the stands of the Vélodrome. Habib Beye directed some of his frustration towards Himad Abdelli, who entered the field in the 81st minute, blaming him for losing the ball in the action that led to the penalty caused by Tadjidine Mmadi and converted by Elye Wahi. Although he did not name him in the press conference, the Marseille coach directly addressed his midfielder in the locker room.
“You can’t come in like that, others have given their all”
Criticized for his nonchalance since his arrival in early February (€2.75 million), the former Angers player did not appreciate the remarks from his coach, as reported by L’Equipe and Foot Mercato. This led to a tense exchange between the two men. “You can’t come in like that, others have given their all,” Habib Beye said. “Don’t talk to me like that, you’re not my father,” Abdelli replied. “I speak for everyone, not just for you,” Beye clarified. “I don’t give a damn,” Abdelli reportedly concluded.
Since signing, the 26-year-old player has played 9 matches with OM (all competitions included), only starting in 2 of them.
