Mercato – OM: A French international ejected by Medhi Benatia, “it was not at all a difficult choice for me”

Just a few months after his arrival atABOUT, Medhi Benatia had made a notable outing with the Canal Football Clubin February 2024. The one who was then advisor to the president of the time, Pablo Longoriahad questioned the investment and behavior of Jonathan Claussinternational français (14 sélections) à ce moment-là.

“Clauss, it wasn’t a difficult choice for me at all.”

« I arrived in November, I was warned about two or three players whose behavior was sometimes a little borderline. Jonathan was one of those players. I know that he had been received several times in the coach’s office to explain to him what was expected of him, in attitude, as a leader, a French international. We thought the message had gotten through, unfortunately, it wasn’t. » explained Medhi Benatiawho returned to this subject in the show The Bridge d’Aurelien Tchouameni : « Clauss, it wasn’t a difficult choice for me at all. »

“I took responsibility until the end”

« I think he’s a good guy. When you know him and everything from the outside, he’s a guy who laughs, he’s a jovial guy. Unfortunately, I am arriving in a season where there are a lot of problems, no results, Gattuso who is very angry after certain behaviors. And unfortunately, it turns out he’s complaining about Jonathan’s behavior “, added Medhi Benatia. « So we take him, we explain to him what we expect of him, he is a French international, he must set an example, etc. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change. So I, shortly after arriving in Marseille, I go out and I say: “But here, the behavior is nonsense.†I see things, thing, and then they say to me: “Yeah but wait, it’s harassment, “how can he talk like That?†, “it’s nonsense to talk like that about a football player†, etc. Me, I took responsibility until the end. » Pushed towards release from winter 2024, Jonathan Clauss ended up leavingABOUT the following summer to engage with theOGC Nice.