The violent clash between Rabiot and Rowe after Marseille’s opening Ligue 1 defeat in August 2025 left the club in chaos. De Zerbi called it “a bar fight,” while president Pablo Longoria described it as “extreme violence”. Both players were suspended and later transferred – Rabiot joined AC Milan while Rowe signed for Bologna. De Zerbi has reflected positively on the club’s decision and revealed how it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Marseille.
The coach had previously expressed his disappointment in Rabiot’s reaction to his punishment, saying in August that he’d hoped for “sincere remorse” from the midfielder and an understanding that there is a “hierarchy” at the club. Now, though, he says selling him was the right move as he wouldn’t “take a step back”.
Asked about if he has ever seen such a brawl in his career, the Marseille manager told Corriere della Sera: “Never. And I come from the streets. But it did us good, because the club chose to do without Rabiot, who didn’t want to take a step back.”
The ex-Brighton coach’s word resonates strongly further now as Rabiot’s mother and agent, Veronique Rabiot, also took his son’s side and rather than insisting for a calm dialogue went ahead to scrutinise De Zerbi, calling him out for being biased.
It’s not the first time Rabiot has found himself wrapped in controversy. Earlier, the French midfielder clashed with Paris Saint-Germain’s management, including being relegated to train with the reserves in 2018 after contract disputes and publicly challenging the club. He also faced backlash for refusing to join France‘s standby list for the 2018 World Cup, which led to a two-year absence from the national team. Additionally, in 2019, Rabiot was suspended by PSG after going to a nightclub following a Champions League elimination, further fuelling criticism of his professionalism and attitude.
If the brawl tore the team apart, its aftermath built something new. De Zerbi rebuilt the midfield around Matt O’Riley, signed on loan from Brighton, whose chemistry with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has anchored Marseille’s resurgence. The Danish duo has added control and creativity, helping the club claim the second-spot in Ligue 1 with 15 points just behind PSG and also impress in their European campaign with a 4-0 win against Ajax. De Zerbi’s message has been clear and coming out of chaos gave the club their much-needed clarity.
The fight erupted after a tense post-match exchange. Witnesses described punches thrown, teammates trying to intervene, and security forced to separate the two midfielders. A younger player was briefly knocked unconscious. Despite pressure from Rabiot’s mother, De Zerbi stood firm, insisting professionalism must come before reputation. Both Rabiot and Rowe were swiftly offloaded to Serie A, ending one of Ligue 1’s ugliest locker-room feuds.
Rabiot, after joining Milan, cleared the air around him and Rowe as he explained that everything was sorted out between them and he only wishes him luck for the future, rebuffing any bad blood between the two players.
