Following his tense exchange with Habib Beye, Himad Abdelli was left out of Saturday’s match in Nantes (a 3-0 defeat), but that’s not all. The Olympique de Marseille midfielder will not play again this season.
Himad Abdelli will eventually come to regret the decision he made with his heart. A devoted Olympique de Marseille fan, the 26-year-old midfielder had pushed to make his dream come true at the end of the winter transfer window.
At the time, the former Angers player could never have imagined that his adventure would turn into a nightmare, particularly due to his performances being well below the standard he achieved with SCO.
Beye shows no mercy
It was impossible to win over Roberto De Zerbi with that level of play, let alone Habib Beye, who was not at all pleased with the turnover that led to the penalty conceded against Nice (1-1) on 26 April.
A verbal altercation then broke out between the two men, resulting in Abdelli being left out of the squad for Saturday’s 3-0 defeat in Nantes. The punishment could have ended there. But the OM manager decided otherwise. According to reports from RMC, Beye himself decided to bench the Algerian international until the end of the season. Beyond their tense exchange, the manager is disappointed with the behaviour and performances of his unwanted player.
Greenwood spared
The former Angers player, also in the management’s sights, could be pushed towards the exit this summer. Unless the successor to director of football Medhi Benatia, or even Beye’s potential replacement, starts with a clean slate. In any case, the winter signing is surely struggling to understand his punishment. It is true that Abdelli is not the only Marseille player in the firing line. Our colleagues also mention the indifference of Mason Greenwood, who “no longer even pretends to care about his team’s fortunes”. The difference is that the side currently seventh in Ligue 1 needs the Englishman to salvage what can still be salvaged.
Lyon: Tolisso, like fine wine…
Once again putting on a masterclass in Sunday’s Ligue 1 clash against Rennes (4-2), with two assists and a goal, Corentin Tolisso seems to be improving with age, just like fine wine. If Olympique Lyonnais do indeed finish in the Champions League, it will be largely thanks to their captain.
The big winner of the weekend? Undoubtedly Olympique Lyonnais. By winning the clash against Rennes (4-2) on Sunday, in the final match of the 32nd Ligue 1 round, the Rhône-based club has taken a significant step towards Champions League qualification, now sitting two and four points clear of Lille and last night’s opponents respectively.
This fourth win in as many matches bears the hallmark of one man: Corentin Tolisso, who put in another masterclass in the final sprint.
Tolisso close to breaking his record
After the opposition’s sublime opening goal, a stunning volley from Mousa Al-Tamari, the Lyon captain quickly brought his side back into the game with a pinpoint cross for Roman Yaremchuk. And before the break, he kept his cool to put his team ahead from the penalty spot, having also set up the final goal of the match for Endrick. A top-class performance from the midfielder, who is close to breaking his personal record for a single season.
By catching Brice Samba off guard, the former Bayern Munich player scored his 14th goal of the season across all competitions. The 31-year-old has thus equalled his record from the 2016–17 season, and he will no doubt do everything he can to beat it in the final two league matches against Toulouse and Lens. Like other players who came through the ranks between the Rhône and Saône rivers, such as Karim Benzema, ‘Coco’ is getting better with age. And he inevitably impresses his teammates, even the most talented ones.
Endrick – “I think he’s our best player”
“I think he’s our best player. He’s our captain, our leader. He looks after his team. We know he’s an idol here. He’s a spectacular player who gives his all on the pitch. I’m very happy to share the pitch with him. There aren’t enough words to describe Coco,” said Endrick, who also scored a goal and provided an assist. It’s hard to disagree with the Brazilian, as Tolisso has been in sensational form since the turn of the year.
Providing the assist in the win over Metz (5-2) and then scoring against Nice (2-0), Strasbourg (1-3), Marseille (2-3) and Paris FC (2-0), the 2018 World Cup winner donned his saviour’s cape for the final sprint with a goal against Lorient (2-0) on matchday 29, before doing even better against Auxerre (3-2) two weeks later, not to mention this latest masterclass against Rennes. In the form of his life, the Lyon captain clearly deserves to play in the 2026 World Cup with the French national team.
