Arriving as a free agent in Marseille, Adrien Rabiot completes an ambitious transfer window for Marseille. The French international, trained at PSG, justified his career choice on Wednesday.
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His transfer has Parisian fans gnashing their teeth. Free of any contract after five years at Juventus, Adrien Rabiot has decided to sign with Olympique de Marseille. The “Duke” justified his choice, Wednesday, September 18, to return to Ligue 1, to the historic rival of his former club, he who played for almost ten years at PSG.
“I don’t have to explain anything to anyone. I’m making my career. Certainly my choice has disappointed some, but it’s a choice that belongs to me and I accept it.“, he responded to his detractors during his first press conference. His attraction to OM goes back to his childhood, he assures: “When I was younger, I liked watching OM, yes, when I was 10-12 years old. When there was Mamadou Niang, Maoulida, Oruma, Taiwo, I liked it. But I also liked watching other teams. I know you’re going to focus on that!“
Ligue 1: Adrien Rabiot’s first words in Marseille
The arrival of Adrien Rabiot in Marseille surprised a lot of people in France, the former Parisian signed with Olympique de Marseille for two seasons. Discover the first words of the new Marseille player pleasantly surprised by the reception of the club’s supporters.
Welcomed like a rock star in the Phocaean city, Adrien Rabiot admitted to being surprised to see so many supporters at the airport: “It surprised me, of course. Since I was trained at PSG and had a certain career, I didn’t expect animosity, but I didn’t expect to see 500 supporters there for me either. It shows that football dominates everything around it.“
Without a club since June and the end of his contract in Italy, Adrien Rabiot took some time before finding a team.I had discussions with some clubs, but circumstances meant that I was not necessarily convinced by the sporting projects. Then I had a message from Mehdi [Benatia, le conseiller sportif de l’OM]we talked and it happened quite quickly.“, he explains. “I was surprised at first, and I told him so. But he was straight to the point, without any pun intended. He explained the Marseille project to me and made me understand that he was excited. I liked his approach. It shows that he is ambitious and that there are big ambitions at the club.“
However, there is little chance of seeing the vice-world champion in his new colours on Sunday against Lyon. “I’ve been working out, of course. But I’m not at my best either, I haven’t been able to work collectively and with the ball. I feel good, but I think it’s a bit short for this weekend.“, he judged.