In a long interview with Zack Nani, Florian Thauvin returned to his stormy relations with Dimitri Payet at OM. The rumors were therefore not unfounded about the tensions between the two men.
Florian Thauvin and Dimitri Payet are and will remain significant players in the modern history of Olympique de Marseille. Even though they didn’t win a trophy, they were major players for the club in the 21st century. However, the two men did not always have an easy relationship. That’s the least we can say, and while we might have thought that the press would make tons about the bad relations between Payet and Thauvin, the current captain of Udinese confirmed that the climate has long been electric in the OM locker room. Interviewed by Zack Nani for his show on Twitch, the 2018 world champion revealed some juicy details.
“José Anigo summons the three of us with Valbuena and Payet and he asks us if there is a problem between us, he tells us to talk and tell him the problem. Valbuena says nothing, Payet says nothing either and I hesitate but finally I speak” says Florian Thauvin, still very young at the time, before continuing. “It’s simple, I respect them, they have great careers, but they don’t pass to me, I don’t pass. And there, José Anigo says that it is not normal that it is the young person who takes responsibility. The following weekend, we go to Rennes and I get angry with Payet and insult him. I made a mistake, a big mistake, I admit” explains Florian Thauvin, who then recounts that the tensions and resentments did not stop there since during the second visit of the two men to Marseille, Dimitri Payet gave a new layer while for his part, Florian Thauvin no longer had any problem with him.
Thauvin believes he was betrayed by Payet
“He said in front of everyone, ‘you Flo, if you have a problem with me, you tell me because from what I see, you’re playing for yourself. Last year, you weren’t there, things were going very well. For me, he stabbed me in the back because I asked him the question several times and he told me there was no problem.” says Florian Thauvin. The numerous clashes between the two former French internationals were therefore not a legend, proof that strong tensions can exist in the locker rooms of major French clubs and sometimes for next to nothing. However, this did not prevent the two men from shining, in turn but also with each other by putting away their egos once on the pitch.
