The relationship between Florian Thauvin and Dimitri Payet has been as much talked about as their exploits on the Vélodrome pitch. Rivals, incompatibles, co-leaders… the labels were thrown around during their years together at OM. The full report on their relationship recalls high tensions, from the incident in Rennes in 2015 until the explosion in the locker room in 2021 after a defeat against Nîmes. Today at Udinese, the former winger returned to this stormy cohabitation in an interview with So Foot. And his version of the facts, far from preconceived ideas, may surprise more than one person.
Two “troubles” that marked the locker room
The attacker does not beat around the bush. Questioned about this supposed war of egos, Thauvin calms things down and delivers a nuanced versione. “Already basic, there is no rivalry, because I respected him as a great player,”
he explains straight away. He admits friction, but strongly minimizes it in view of their common longevity. “But Dimitri, in the six years we spent together, we had two major disagreements. The rest of the time there was no conflict between us. » For him, the public and the press greatly exaggerated the situation: “People stereotyped it a lot. They liked it. »
If Thauvin speaks of “two strong disagreements”, the information on their cohabitation reminds us that these incidents had a profound impact on the locker room. The best known remains the altercation of January 2021. After the defeat against Nîmes, Payet publicly criticized Thauvin for his individualism. To which the winger responded sharply about the physical condition of his teammate. A tension exacerbated by questions of salaries and leadership, which required the intervention of Steve Mandanda to separate the two men. The other major incident dated from 2015, in Rennes, where Thauvin insulted Payet on the pitch.
Thauvin breaks preconceived ideas about his relationship with Payet
Payet’s injury in 2018? “Nothing to see”
This rivalry was also invited into the French team. Thauvin also returned to the 2018 World Cup. Dimitri Payet, strong man of Euro 2016, was injured just before the list, leaving a place that Thauvin recovered. The ex-Marseillais assures that Didier Deschamps had already given him his confidence well before this episode. “Didier himself told me: ‘Dimitri’s injury has absolutely nothing to do with your call-up to the selection'”, reports Thauvin, citing the coach. “I trust you, I took you on the list of 23.”
Thauvin therefore seems to want to soothe memories and present a more nuanced version of his cohabitation with number 10. If he recognizes inevitable clashes between two strong characters, he refuses the label of ” war “ permed. A clarification which comes as the two men crossed paths and shook hands during the Monaco Grand Prix in 2024, a sign that tensions are indeed eased.
