Former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho LEAVES Montpellier after being suspended by the club following an altercation with his manager in which he “grabbed Michel Der Zakarian and threw him to the ground”.
- Sakho was reportedly called a “crybaby,” which apparently sparked the altercation
- In his exit post, he claimed that he refused to take blame for the event
- Big debates are ongoing about Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal It’s starting Podcast
Former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho has left Montpellier with immediate effect following reports of a physical altercation with coach Michel Der Zakarian.
Accordingly L’EquipeDuring a raid on the training ground, Sakho grabbed Der Zakarian by the collar and threw him to the ground in front of several witnesses.
The confrontation was said to have sparked when Sakho was not fouled by Der Zakarian during training and the Armenian called him a “crybaby”. Sakho then left the training field after shifts and supervisors quickly intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Sakho was suspended by the club after the incident and risked dismissal, but he did not leave the club permanently – seemingly of his own free will.
The 33-year-old released a statement on Thursday, roughly translated by Fabrizio Romanojustified his exit, but maintained his innocence in the altercation and refused to take any part of the blame.
Mamadou Sakho has left Montpellier after an altercation with the club manager at the training ground
The defense attorney confirmed his departure on social media on Thursday and maintained his innocence over the altercation
Michel Der Zakarian (pictured) is said to have called Sakho a “crybaby” before he was grabbed by the collar and thrown to the ground
“You have to know how to leave the table when respect is no longer maintained,” the statement began.
“Following the incident that occurred last week at the training center and for which I deny any responsibility, I have decided to end my collaboration with the Montpellier Herault Sports Club on this day of November 2nd, 2023.
“I spent two years in this family club, where I enjoyed sharing my high-quality experiences with my teammates and my ‘little brothers’ from the training center.” At the same time, I would like to thank them for their impeccable support and medical care mention the fans who appreciated my time at the club.
“Many thanks also to the sports director Bruno Carotti for his loyalty to me throughout my entire adventure.” [at] Montpellier.
“Finally, I would like to express a special thank you to President Laurent Nicollin, who, like his late father before him, leads the MHSC with the values and principles that are close to my heart.”
“We met as men, let’s go as men.” Happy end of season, Mamadou Sakho.’
Sakho played in the Premier League for eight years, including three and a half years with Jürgen Klopp (left) and Liverpool
He spent the remainder of his time at Crystal Palace before leaving England to join Montpellier
Sakho arrived in Montpellier from Crystal Palace in 2021 after playing eight years in the Premier League – three and a half at Liverpool and four and a half at Palace.
He played a total of 155 games for both clubs before returning to his native France and making 45 appearances for the Ligue 1 side in just over two years.
Michel Der Zakarian returned for a second spell as Montpellier coach in February this year and reportedly branded Sakho a “crybaby” before tensions rose.
Sakho was told in the summer that he was no longer part of Der Zakarian’s plans but could not get a transfer elsewhere.