Mamadou Sakho has been involved in a heated altercation and a fight with his manager at Montpellier. That may result in profound consequences for the player.

Sakho has only seen 40 minutes of action this season in the final year of his contract. He has been at odds with boss Michel Der Zakarian. The altercation took place in the dressing rooms at Montpellier‘s training ground. Players and staff members had to separate the two men.

The altercation started after Sakho stormed out of training. He and Der Zakarian entered a dispute over a foul. A verbal exchange transpired between the two. Sakho allegedly grabbed Der Zakarian by the collar and knocked him to the ground, L’Equipe says. The event escalated to a point where the Armenian manager made derogatory remarks about Sakho, including calling him a ‘crybaby.’

Sakho broke the coach’s necklace, which was a family heirloom, during the scrap.

Mamadou Sakho gets into fight with his manager

The incident involving the experienced defender and his coach Michel Der Zakarian could indeed lead to serious consequences for Sakho. L’Equipe added that the altercation might result in his dismissal from the club for serious misconduct, especially since just eight months remain on his contract.

Authorities initiated an internal investigation to gather all the details of the confrontation. Montpellier temporarily suspended the 33-year-old from training. A preliminary meeting takes place next week to discuss the matter further.

Mamadou Sakho has spent most of this season on the Montpellier bench.
Mamadou Sakho has spent most of this season on the Montpellier bench.

Mamadou Sakho has spent most of this season on the Montpellier bench.

Additionally, an offensive graffiti message directed at the Frenchman and his family was discovered at the entrance of the training center during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. The graffiti demanded that they leave Montpellier immediately, but the club acted quickly to cover and remove it.

The situation is said to remain under review. Thus, further actions will be taken based on the findings of the investigation and the outcome of the preliminary meeting.

History of disciplinary issues

This latest incident involving Sakho at Montpellier adds to his history of disciplinary problems, which have been a source of concern for clubs and managers. In the past, the central defender had disciplinary issues during his time at Liverpool and fell out with both Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp even sent him home early from a pre-season tour of the USA due to a breach of club rules. “It’s not that serious,” the German coach said in July 2016. “He missed the departure of the plane, he missed a session, and then was late for a meal … I have to build a group here, I have to start anew, so I thought it maybe made sense that he flew home to Liverpool and after eight days, when we come back, we can talk about it.”

Klopp, in an official club video from the summer tour in 2016, humorously chastised the player for his ill-discipline. He even suggested he would like to leave the center-back on Alcatraz, a reference to the former high-security prison.

Mamadou Sakho’s disciplinary issues at Liverpool led to his eventual departure from the club. He was demoted to the reserves by Jurgen Klopp and later left for Crystal Palace on an initial loan deal in January 2017.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Laci Perenyi