Mamadou Sakho Terminates Contract with Montpellier After Physical Fight with Manager

Former Liverpool centre-back Mamadou Sakho has seen his contract terminated at Montpellier, after a physical fight with manager Michel Der Zakarian. Sakho was a hugely popular player during his time at Liverpool, but even those four years were not short of controversy.

Sakho’s Time at Liverpool

An £18 million signing from Paris Saint-Germain, the defender made 80 appearances for the Reds before falling out of favour under Jurgen Klopp due to disciplinary issues. A loan spell at Crystal Palace then led to a permanent move, before joining Ligue 1 side Montpellier as a free agent in 2021.
Having been a regular starter in his first season and even wearing the captain’s armband, Sakho’s game time gradually decreased, and this term he only clocked six minutes on the pitch. Tempers flared in training last week, with French publication L’Equipe reporting that the 33-year-old walked off the pitch after a disagreement with Der Zakarian, before the manager labelled him a “cry-baby.”
Sakho is then claimed to have grabbed his coach by the collar, leading to Der Zakarian falling to the floor and a “family chain” around his neck being broken. And in a statement on Thursday evening, Sakho confirmed he terminated his contract with the club.

Sakho’s Statement on Terminating Contract

“You have to know how to leave the table when respect is no longer served,” he wrote on Instagram. “Following the incident that took place last week at the training centre and for which I decline all responsibility, I have decided on this day of 02/11/2023 to end my collaboration with Montpellier Herault Sports Club.
I spent two years in this family club where I took pleasure to share my high-level experience with my team-mates and my ‘little brothers’ from the centre of training. At the same time, I thank them for their support as well as the medical staff without forgetting the supporters who appreciated my time at the club.
“Thanks also to the sports director Bruno Carotti for his loyalty to me throughout my Montpellier adventure. Finally, I wanted to give a special thanks to the president, Laurent Nicollin, who like his late father did before him, heads the MHSC with the values and principles that are dear to me. We met as men, we leave as men. Happy end of the season.” Notably, Sakho omitted Der Zakarian from his tributes, with his lack of game time coinciding with the Armenian’s appointment in February.

Sakho’s Controversial Career

Mamadou Sakho has had an eventful career since his time at Liverpool. After leaving Anfield in 2017, he had a brief loan spell at Crystal Palace before joining Montpellier in 2021. His time at Montpellier was marred by controversy as he was involved in a physical altercation with his manager Michel Der Zakarian. This led to him terminating his contract with the club and leaving on bad terms.
Sakho was a hugely popular player during his time at Liverpool and made 80 appearances for the Reds before falling out of favour under Jurgen Klopp due to disciplinary issues. He was an £18 million signing from Paris Saint-Germain and was even given the captain’s armband during his time at Montpellier.
Despite his popularity amongst fans and team-mates, Sakho’s career has been plagued by controversy and disciplinary issues. His latest incident with Montpellier has seen him leave on bad terms and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

Conclusion

Mamadou Sakho’s career has been full of controversy since leaving Liverpool in 2017. His latest incident with Montpellier has seen him terminate his contract with the club after a physical altercation with manager Michel Der Zakarian. Despite being a hugely popular player during his time at Liverpool and even wearing the captain’s armband at Montpellier, Sakho’s career has been marred by disciplinary issues and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.