French manager Dider Deschamps criticised his own fans’ ‘unacceptable’ jeering of Adrien Rabiot during their World Cup Qualifier against Iceland on Tuesday.
The midfielder has endured a difficult few weeks after being exiled at Marseille following an explosive dressing room fallout with team-mate Jonothan Rowe.
Having been told to find a new club, Rabiot returned to the Serie A with AC Milan in a move which saw him reunite with his former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri.
But it seems back in his native France the 30-year-old, who boasts his outspoken mother as an agent, is still far from popular.
With his side 2-1 up against Iceland and down to 10 men after Aurelien Tchouameni‘s dismissal, Deschamps turned to Rabiot to see the game out.
The substitution was however met with loud jeers from all corners of the Parc des Princes, the midfielder’s former home ground, which continued every time he touched the ball.
France boss Didier Deschamps criticised his own supporters for their treatment of Rabiot during their fixture against Iceland at the Parc des Princes
The midfielder was booed every time he touched the ball after coming on with 14 minutes to go
Deschamps himself was also jeered pre-match with PSG fans frustrated over injuries suffered by Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue
It came after Deschamps was himself the subject of booing from supporters pre-match, with PSG fans believed to be frustrated over injuries suffered by Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue during France’s 2-0 victory over Ukraine last Friday.
The manager hit back at the boos while speaking to reporters post-match, describing their treatment of Rabiot as ‘unacceptable’.
He said: ‘It’s unacceptable. He’s a French national team player, he wears this jersey.
‘When he’s at his club, it’s none of my business. Adrien is solid enough, he turned them around around on the last play [with a defensive tackle].
‘It’s not happening. No player should have to go through this – it’s the French national team, he’s French, like all players.
‘It must not happen, it’s unacceptable.’
Rabiot is indeed no longer the idol he once was to PSG fans during his seven years at the club.
He left the French champions on far from ceremonious terms in 2019, with his mother Veronique explaining that the relationship between player and club had ‘completely deteriorated’.
Rabiot left PSG on far from good terms in 2019 after seven years at the club
His outspoken mother later described the relationship between her son and the club as ‘deteriorated’
He’s been booed on multiple returns back to the Parc des Princes and earlier this year the Rabiots even sued PSG for their alleged failure to manage abusive banners and insults from supporters.
The match in question was Rabiot’s first at Parc des Princes since leaving for Juventus in 2019 when numerous derogatory chants and banners targeting him were witnessed at the stadium.
The Frenchman is however making something of a habit of burning bridges at his former clubs.
His surprising Marseille exit came after he and Jonothan Rowe became involved in a heated altercation after their side’s 1-0 loss to Rennes on the opening day of this Ligue 1 season.
The feud soon turned ‘extremely violent’, according to Marseille president Pablo Longoria, with security reportedly called into the dressing room to separate the two stars. Just hours later they were both exiled from the squad and told to find new clubs.
His mother later accused Marseille of ‘betraying’ her son after his commitments to them last season, telling RMC: ‘When I learned of the suspension it was like being struck on the head.
The Frenchman was also exiled from Marseille earlier this year after a dressing room altercation
‘It couldn’t have just been because of that altercation. I feel uneasy because he has done so much for Marseille and yet this is how they treat him.
‘Adrien is not angry, but very disappointed. De Zerbi talks about betrayal, but if anyone has been betrayed, it’s Adrien.
‘I never expected this to happen, I thought the worst was at PSG but I was wrong. If he misses an entire season, it will be catastrophic.
‘We have already gone through this once and we don’t want it to happen again.’
Rabiot has made one appearance for AC Milan since making the switch to the San Siro.
