Beye and Samba flashpoint as Rennes exit in Marseille, Al-Tamari upset by coach remark | OneFootball

Rennes were dumped out 0-3 at Marseille in the Coupe de France last 16, a night that laid bare frictions with coach Habib Beye. According to L'Équipe, incidents involved Mousa Al-Tamari at half-time and Brice Samba soon after the restart.

Rennes had targeted the tie after PSG’s early exit yet produced little against an unconvincing OM. The loss completed a 9-0 sequence across three matches, a sharp fall from two points off OM and the podium after a 2-0 win at Lille in January.

Beye’s switches have not halted the slide, from 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2 diamond at Monaco, then 5-4-1 at the Vélodrome. Rennes still looked blunt and brittle.

Accounts vary over the interval episode. Al-Tamari is said to have reacted badly to stern words and was still affected post-match, though others contend Beye was merely reinforcing runs in behind.

After OM’s second, timed at 32 seconds of the half, Beye is understood to have questioned Samba’s decision to go long rather than build short. The keeper responded, which may have irked the coach, and support was not forthcoming.

Earlier in the season Beye sidelined Mikayil Faye and Al-Tamari for discipline, then Seko Fofana and Ludovic Blas before Toulouse 2-2 on 29 October over commitment. Fofana is on loan at Porto and Blas, with nine starts, was benched again despite Sebastian Szymanski’s arrival.

The dressing room left dismayed. Trips to Lens on Saturday and PSG on Friday 13 will test unity and European aims, and sporting director Loïc Désiré urged a quick reset from the players while discounting debate over the coach, whose job was threatened in late October.

Source: L'Équipe