Marseille coach Didier Deschamps on Tuesday expressed his anger at Stephane Mbia’s continued absence from the club’s pre-season training camp in south-west France.
The Cameroon centrerback, who failed to join up with the squad when they left Marseille on Sunday, had still not arrived by the time the French champions concluded a training session in Saint-Jean-de-Luz on Tuesday night.
He arrived in Marseille from Paris on Tuesday, with the club expecting him to arrive in Saint-Jean-de-Luz either late on Tuesday evening or yesterday morning.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A source close to the club said he did not call Deschamps until Tuesday.
It was the first time Deschamps had heard from the player, who had been granted an extended holiday following his participation at the World Cup.
“I strongly advised him to join us and take the Paris-Biarritz flight, but he decided otherwise,” an angry Deschamps told reporters after the training session ended. “There’s a bit of confusion in his head.”
“We see lots of things in the world today, but I told him first of all to show respect towards the club, towards his colleagues and towards everyone,” Deschamps said. “And no matter what the reasons, he’s a professional player. If he wants to leave, it’s simple. If a club offers 18 million [euros, the departure clause in Mbia’s contract], I’ll take him there tomorrow if he want me to.”
“I told him and he knows it,” he said.
In response, Mbia said that he had apologized to Deschamps and explained that he had been delayed by problems with a connecting flight while returning from a holiday in the US.
“I had a connection problem between Atlanta and New York that prevented me from arriving in Marseille at 21:45 on Saturday as planned,” he said in a telephone call on Tuesday.
“I spoke to the coach, who said that he was expecting me as quickly as possible, and I apologized. But there’s no problem,” Mbia said.
He added that he would join up with the squad yesterday.
Club president Jean-Claude Dassier earlier said that Mbia’s behavior was “unacceptable, coming from a professional.”
“I can’t see how he can escape punishment. One or two hours late, at a pinch, but three days...” he said.
Dassier also said Mbia was wasting his time if he was trying to force his way out of the club.
“That’s not the kind of thing that works with me,” he said.
In a Web chat with readers of the newspaper La Provence on Tuesday, Marseille sporting director Jose Anigo said Mbia risked “heavy financial penalties” for his actions.
Anigo added that it would be up to Deschamps to decide if any “sporting sanctions” were to be applied.
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