The exit of Mehdi Benatia continues to make waves… In interviews broadcast on Sunday by Canal and Amazon Prime Video, the OM sports advisor notably took stock of the Jonathan Clauss file, the French international having been placed on the market to everyone’s surprise in the January transfer window. Finally, the ex-Lensois remained at the dock.
The day after the broadcast of these astonishing statements, the UNFP showed its fangs. The players’ union believes, in a press release, that the former defender of Juventus and Bayern, trained at OM, “basely attacked” Clauss, from whom OM was hoping for a sale to “give itself a little air financially”. “Again and always harassment, which consists of delivering a footballer to popular vindictiveness via the press, to deflect all evil onto him. This harassment that the UNFP denounces until filing a complaint against X last month, and which the clubs nevertheless abuse, including now outside official transfer periods. By pillorying Jonathan Clauss in this way, with the blessing of management? It is against the interests of OM, those of today and those of tomorrow, that we are playing,” assures the UNFP.
Chaired by Philippe Piat, the National Union of Professional Footballers also ensures that it will not be, for Clauss, “easy to demonstrate on the field the qualities which make him a defender on whom Didier Deschamps is counting in anticipation of the next Euro » after what Benatia “said” about him. “And it is not certain, after so much effort, that another club could be interested in the former Lensois and break the bank next summer, when he will have one year of contract remaining. Well done, Advisor! Because in addition to lacking a minimum of respect towards the man, we are questioning the professional conscience of a player who would even be capable of simulating an injury. Ashamed ! Disgusting!”, we get carried away.
Comparing OM to a “drunken boat” while the dismissal of Gennaro Gattuso and his replacement by Jean-Louis Gasset will quickly be made official, the UNFP ironically: “It is not forbidden to think that we are going to attack, individually or collectively, all the employees of the Marseille club, all of whom are guilty. Why not also Pablo Longoria?” And to conclude: “Medhi and Pablo are on a boat, and it’s OM that falls into the water.”
Mehdi Benatia explained this on Canal: “When I arrived, in November, I was warned about two or three players whose behavior was sometimes a little borderline, Jonathan was one of those players. He was received several times in the coach’s office to explain to him what was expected of him in terms of attitude, as a leader and French international. We thought the message had gotten through. Unfortunately, that was not the case… Against Monaco, Jo asked for a change. On such an important player, you have to tell him: you have to grit your teeth, this is not the time to give up, there are 10-12 guys missing at this time. When you come out and we learn, via the medical staff, that it was a blow and that there was nothing in particular, not all the staff are happy… If the player has desires elsewhere , we listen to them, but there was no offer, OK, he plays, no problem, we will see at the end of the problem what will happen. Since this affair, things have been a little better in terms of state of mind.” Not enough, obviously.
