Former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho criticized Montpellier manager Michel Der Zakarian after training on Tuesday night and now faces the risk of being sacked by the French club.The 33-year-old spent eight years in the Premier League, four of them at Anfield, before leaving Manchester United for Crystal Palace in 2017.
He returned to France to sign for Montpellier in 2021, but his days in Ligue 1 ended after a heated argument with the team’s manager. According to L’Equipe, Sakho grabbed Der Zakarian by the collar during a robbery at a training ground and threw him to the ground in front of several witnesses. The conflict arose when Der Zakaryan left the training ground without tackling Sakho during training. In response to Sakho’s withdrawal, Der Zakarian said the session “was not a la carte” for France’s 29-man squad.This remark infuriated Sakho, who threw Der Zakarian to the ground. The players and staff quickly intervened to prevent the situation from escalating, with Der Zakarian becoming angry and showing his displeasure by punching walls and doors.Neither Sakho nor Der Zakarian were prepared to discuss the matter with L’Equipe, but the former could now be severely punished for his actions. Sakho could be sacked for serious misconduct if the club determines he has behaved inappropriately.
He was told that Der Zakaryan would not be part of his summer plans, but that a move elsewhere would not be possible. The Frenchman has only made one brief league change this season and this could be his last game for the club. Montpellier have had a difficult start to the season, picking up just nine points in their first eight away games.
The ranking is on the 14th place.Earlier this month, a match against Clermont Foote was also abandoned after the opposing goalkeeper was hit by a firecracker thrown by supporters. Clermont Foot goalkeeper Mauri Dieu was sent off and his teammate Neto Borges was shown a red card for giving the Montpellier fans the middle finger.
