Michel Der Zakarian finally breaks his silence! At the end of October, the MHSC was rocked by a violent clash between Mamadou Sakho and his coach during a training session. After being sidelined and then reintegrated, the French defender surprised the Hérault club by announcing his departure on social media. One month after the incident, the Franco-Armenian coach, who had refused to apologize to the former French international, agreed to discuss this tumultuous episode in an interview with Midi Libre.
“I know what I said to the player. I know what he did. I know where I stand, I know what I did. I can look at myself in the mirror without any problem. I had never experienced a problem like this, I had never clashed with a player like that… I’m a guy who thinks a lot. When you’re a coach, you ask yourself questions. You constantly question yourself to improve for tomorrow. You can’t take it all lightly. It definitely leaves a mark,” said Michel Der Zakarian before thanking his leaders for their support in light of this incident. “I appreciated Laurent’s (Nicollin, the president) attitude who supported me. The whole club was with me,” he concluded.