Sambou Yatabaré Criticises Michel After Spaniard’s Appointment at Marseille
Just hours after Michel’s appointment as head coach of Olympique de Marseille, former Olympiacos midfielder Sambou Yatabaré launched a scathing attack on the Spanish tactician, questioning both his character and managerial capabilities.
Yatabaré, who played under Michel during his time at Olympiacos, did not hold back in an interview with Ouest France, describing the former Real Madrid star as “self-centred” and more focused on appearances than on building meaningful relationships with his players.
“The coach? I don’t have much to say. He lifted us up, sure, and won two championships — but at Olympiacos, that’s almost expected,” Yatabaré said. “I don’t have much good to say about the man. He’s very self-absorbed — still carries himself like the star he was at Real Madrid. He knows how to work the media, he loves the spotlight. You’ll see him posing before matches, stepping onto the pitch with photographers ready. It was constant.”
Michel, who had a glittering career as a midfielder with Real Madrid, is known for his attacking style — something Yatabaré acknowledged — but the Malian international was skeptical about his prospects at Marseille.
“He’s an attacking coach, just like the player he was. But honestly, at Marseille, I don’t believe in him at all,” Yatabaré continued. “In football, there are people who make you fall in love with the game even more. Michel, on the contrary, disgusted me.”
This isn’t the first time a former player has publicly criticised Michel. Cameroonian defender Gaétan Bong, who also played under him in Greece, previously expressed similar frustrations, hinting at strained player-coach relationships during the Spaniard’s tenure at Olympiacos.
Michel’s return to Ligue 1 — where expectations are high and scrutiny intense — is off to a controversial start, with his reputation already under fire from former players. How he responds on the pitch with Marseille may prove decisive in reshaping that narrative.
