Ex-Liverpool star pardoned after bust-up with coach
Tom Weber
- Updated: 30 Oct 2023 16:00 GMT
- 4 min read
Mamadou Sakho has been pardoned by Montpellier despite what was reportedly a serious altercation with his coach.
Sakho, a former Liverpool player, has had his fair share of issues, notably failing a drug test and later being sent home from a pre-season tour by Jurgen Klopp in 2016, effectively ending his career at Anfield. Aged 33 now and on the books at Ligue 1 side Montpellier, the defender was recently involved in a bust-up with coach Michel Der Zakarian.
According to reports in France, Sakho felt wronged by his boss in training, which led to a war of words between the two. When Der Zakarian allegedly called the former Liverpool star a "crybaby," the Frenchman reportedly lost his temper and a serious altercation broke out that required staff and teammates to intervene.
READ: Jude Bellingham issues response to criticism over 'tap-in goals'
At a recent press conference, Der Zakarian insisted that it was a "small clash" and refused to go into any more detail. French media had claimed that a necklace, a family heirloom, was broken during the fight, which enraged the 60-year-old, but it appears that the altercation had not been as serious as initially reported.
Former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho faces being sacked by Montpellier after fighting with head coach Michel Der Zakarian during a training session on Tuesday.
L'Equipe reports he grabbed the coach by the collar and pushed him to the ground. pic.twitter.com/lTs2Uwq6lW— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) October 25, 2023
Sakho pardoned
L'Equipe had insisted that Sakho had been suspended and that he could even have his contract terminated over the matter, but this hasn't transpired. Instead, the 33-year-old was spotted back in training on Monday, according to Footmercato.
The French outlet states that Sakho wasn't suspended and a contract termination was never under consideration, therefore it must really have been a minor clash between the player and the coach.
READ: Why Haaland is under fire in Norway ahead of Ballon d'Or
A much harsher course of action would likely have followed if the altercation had been as serious as originally claimed. Chelsea loanee David Datro Fofana, for example, was recently suspended for a week by Union Berlin for something as innocuous as reacting angrily to being substituted.
