It has been a difficult week for Olympique de Marseille. And even more for Benjamin Pavard. Four days after deflecting the ball with his hand on Sporting's second goal in the Champions League (2-1), the former Munich player precipitated the loss of his team during the Ciel et Blanc's trip to Lens (2-1), Saturday, on the occasion of the 9e day of Ligue 1.
At the origin of the penalty which allowed the Sang et Or to equalize just a few minutes after Mason Greenwood's opening score in the first period, the French world champion then scored against his camp shortly after returning from the locker room. The Marseille defender suffered the blow after the match and felt obliged to publish a message of apology to the Olympian supporters.
But this message did not go down well with many observers.
“It’s just talk.” You can't send this message to everyone explaining that you apologize for your performancethus asserted Jérôme Rothen in his show on RMC. When you're not at your best, you shut up and admit it. You admit it but you get back to work. Because there he put extra pressure on himself for the next match. Who says he won't be bad in the next match? Because it can happen. And then what will he say? Another apology message? »
“Pathetic and ridiculous”
Consultant to JĂ©rĂ´me Rothen, Christophe Dugarry was undoubtedly even more scathing with Benjamin Pavard. “I find it totally ridiculous. If he has to apologize every time he misses a match, misses a pass, scores an own goal or something else… I find it totally pathetic and ridiculous, he was indignant. I already found it ridiculous when the players at the end of the match were going to stand in front of the supporters' stands to get flogged. I find it totally stupid! »
“If every player, every time there is one who misses something, starts apologizing, then we will no longer get by,” he added. I find that it makes no sense, it's pure and simple nonsense. Besides, I find that it's absolutely useless. If I'm a Marseille fan, I tell myself that I don't care if Pavard apologizes. »
“You are old fools”
But conversely, Eric Di Meco appreciated Benjamin Pavard's message. “I'm from the same generation as you and I'm always surprised when players apologize. Except that I try to see a little beyond the end of my nose like you do, he began to JĂ©rĂ´me Rothen and Christophe Dugarry. These kids spend their lives on Instagram and everything they do, they have to tell people about it. So he's coming out of a terrible week for him, it must be the worst week of his career… And he wants to do that. I'm not sure the supporters will take it badly. »
And the former defender added another layer by denouncing the outdated vision of his two colleagues. “You are old things still living in the last century, he thundered. I try to look at what young people are doing today. And there you have it, they communicate on Instagram. The guy comes out of the match, he's on the plane bringing him back from Lens, he feels shitty because he's just spent a week in Hell… Of course he had to apologize in the locker room. And there he says a word for the supporters, that's all. It's not that bad, he's human and you are old fools. »
