In late October 2018, two Paris Saint Germain stars, Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappé were dropped from the starting XI by newly appointed German manager Thomas Tuchel after they arrived late to a pre-match meeting.
The following January in 2019, Rabiot outright refused to renew his contract amid serious interest from Spanish giants Barcelona and failed to appear for the first team for a month because he did not want to renew his contract, the French star was forced to train with the reserves.
Veronique Rabiot, Adrien’s mother and agent has hit out at Paris Saint-Germain’s treatment of her son, comparing him to a prisoner in the most wicked jail of old Europe. The France international midfielder is currently being exiled from the Ligue 1 champions after refusing to discuss a new contract with the club.
The 23-year old Rabiot has been barred from training with the first team after refusing to discuss a contract extension with the club. The 23-year-old has not played for PSG since December 11, as rumours continue to link him with a move to Barcelona.
With his contract set to expire at season’s end, all Rabiot can do now is wait out the months until he becomes a free agent. While her son is in exile from Thomas Tuchel’s side, Veronique has lamented to L’Equipe that he is suffering from his current situation.
“I do not want to cry about it, or to weaken even more Adrien saying he is not good,” Veronique said. “We are attacking the human side here. We are modest. I can only tell you that he feels very badly about everything that happens.”
While she is unhappy because of her son’s predicament, Veronique had little sympathy for PSG, who she feels are treating her son like a prisoner by keeping him away from the club. “Adrien is a prisoner! He is even held hostage by PSG. Soon it will be dry bread, water, and a dungeon! This environment is cruel.”
Rabiot was heavily criticised after he was spotted at a nightclub immediately after PSG’s shocking Champions League exit at the hands of Manchester United two weeks ago. The midfielder also liked a video on social media of Patrice Evra slamming the Parisians for losing to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Veronique has indicated her son accidentally liked the wrong video from Evra, and mocked the idea that PSG could be outraged about Rabiot visiting a nightclub at the same time that they are refusing to play him.
“I can already say that we blamed him for liking the wrong video,” Veronique said. “This is not the one where Patrice Evra ‘celebrates’ the elimination of Paris. And then, there is this nightclub outing … But PSG wants to take care of Adrien’s private life too, when they don’t even want him anymore!
“They want him to put on his pajamas at nine o’clock, before the game, in front of his TV, to go to bed at eleven o’clock! These people do not know the rhythm of life of the players? When a player plays, which is his job, he has a training rhythm. In this case, nothing happens for Adrien.”
“Adrien is not going to take a pottery class until something happens. He must take care of himself, let him live! “A footballer exists to play, not to stay on the shelf. Adrien has not played since December, and likely won’t until June.”
“In the highest places – I am surprised that the Ministers of Sports and Work are not outraged. A lot of people are aware of this situation, but nobody is doing anything about it. There have been a cascade of sanctions against Adrien, but nobody is moving,” she continued. “They are taking away his bonuses, a part of his salary, but nobody is saying anything.
“There are players who are six minutes late to a meeting [meaning Rabiot ahead of the meeting with Marseille earlier this season, for which he was dropped and fined] and there are others who are injured but can go to the other side of the world, to the Rio carnival [meaning Neymar].”
There remain questions over where Rabiot will ply his trade next season, amid interest from the likes of Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool.
The talented French man is an adept midfielder that would easily slot in to several top teams in European Leagues. Barcelona scouted the young man but might have moved on after completing the signing of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax Amsterdam.