Wahbi Khazri has issued a fiery response to claims made by former Montpellier manager Michel Der Zakarian who questioned the physical condition of the Tunisian striker and fellow teammate Téji Savanier following the club’s relegation to Ligue 2.
Montpellier endured a dismal campaign, finishing 18th in Ligue 1 and sealing their drop from France’s top flight.
In the aftermath, scrutiny has intensified around several senior players, with Khazri who managed only one goal in 29 league appearances bearing the brunt of public criticism.
Former boss Der Zakarian pointed fingers at key figures, suggesting they were not in peak physical shape throughout the season.
Speaking to L’Équipe, Khazri vehemently denied the accusations, calling them both unfounded and disrespectful. “A so-called coach leaves and starts throwing grenades,” he said.
“Do people really think Savanier and I are five, even eight kilos overweight? If that were true, we wouldn’t have been able to compete at all. We’d have collapsed.”
The Tunisian international, who previously played for Saint-Étienne and Sunderland, defended his fitness by pointing out the durability he and Savanier demonstrated over the season.
“Neither of us had a single muscle injury all year,” he said. “I always trained, I never faked an injury or turned up late unlike some others.”
Khazri, 33, went further to back up his claims with performance metrics, pointing to GPS tracking data that measures player intensity.
“Look at the numbers,” he urged. “Especially on high-intensity runs I’ve never been behind the group. I’m not claiming to be perfect, but the way I’ve been portrayed is unfair. It hurts.”
He accused Der Zakarian of shifting blame for the club’s collective failure, calling the weight issue a convenient distraction. “It’s just an excuse,” Khazri said.
“If he wanted to talk about tactics or actual decisions made on the pitch, fine but this? It’s just a bomb dropped for no reason other than to clean his own slate.”
Throughout the interview, Khazri voiced deep frustration at being cast as the scapegoat for Montpellier’s troubles. “Every time something goes wrong, it’s my fault,” he said. “It’s like I’m the easy target. The club’s failure has been pinned on me. I’m not pretending to be a victim but it’s clear where the fingers are pointed.”
With his contract set to expire in June, Khazri confirmed he would be leaving the club although he declined to name his next destination.
“I’m not done yet,” he said. “I’ll continue playing elsewhere.”
Khazri’s candid remarks shine a light on the deep fractures within Montpellier’s dressing room during a season that ended in disarray.
As the club begins to rebuild in Ligue 2, the veteran forward’s parting words may leave a lasting mark on the conversation around leadership, accountability and player treatment behind the scenes.
