It seems like he attracts storms wherever he goes. After his stormy episode in Marseille, where an altercation in the locker room precipitated his departure, Adrien Rabiot hoped to find a little serenity in the AC Milan jersey. But barely a month after his arrival in Lombardy, the French international is already at the center of a new controversy. And this time, it is his words that are causing a stir, even in the highest echelons of Italian and European football.
“Completely crazy”: the outing that caused a scandal
The latest controversy arose from an interview with Le Figaro in which Rabiot sharply criticized Serie A's decision to organize certain championship matches abroad. Next February, Milan must face Como… in Perth, Australia. An idea that the midfielder judges “completely crazy” And “really absurd.” “We constantly talk about the busy schedules and the health of the players, and here we are asked to travel thousands of kilometers for a match between two Italian clubs,” he protested.
Words that did not please Serie A boss Luigi de Siervo at all.
“He is fundamentally right, but he forgets that he is paid millions to play and that he must respect his employer”he retorted, recalling that AC Milan validated and supported this initiative. De Siervo believes that this type of public criticism harms the image of the club and the championship.
A criticism that goes beyond Italian borders
This controversy comes at a time when the debate on the relocation of national matches is agitating all of Europe. UEFA has confirmed that it has “reluctantly” approved two meetings outside the continent, while reaffirming its opposition to this model. Aleksander Ceferin warned: “Football is not just entertainment or accounting. To distance it from its roots is to risk breaking it. »
Rabiot's exit is part of this growing tension between economic interests and sporting traditions. But where some welcome his frankness, others denounce an awkward position which places his club in a delicate position.
Adrien Rabiot freewheeling: after Marseille, controversy follows him to Italy
Rabiot, between frankness and imprudence
For the former Marseillais, this is not the first time that a clear-cut speech has created controversy. His attitude had already divided in Marseille, and it now arouses criticism in Milan. Rabiot assumes responsibility, but his leaders now expect him to “ respects strategic choices » of the club.
Irony of fate: by wanting to defend the players and denounce a deviation, he today attracts reproaches from his leaders and from Serie A. One thing is certain: the calm that Rabiot hoped for in Italy will still wait.
