Rabiot's French Saga: Betrayal, Milan, and a World Cup Quest
7 October 2025
Rabiot's Exit from Marseille: Frustration Unleashed
Adrien Rabiot, France's national team star and current Milan midfielder, was deeply frustrated by the manner of his departure from Olympique de Marseille during last summer's transfer window at the start of the 2025-2026 season.
He broke his silence in interviews with RTL and M6, describing the handling of his exit as a betrayal and saying he still struggles to understand why the French club decided to sell him.
From Marseille to Milan: The Fallout and the Road Ahead
The crisis intensified after Marseille's 1-0 loss to Rennes in the league opener, with reports claiming he was put up for sale following a quarrel with teammate Jonathan Ro; the move saw him join AC Milan, while Ro had already moved to Bologna.
The midfielder is now with the France squad preparing for the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Blues are set to face Azerbaijan on Friday at Parc des Princes, then Iceland in Reykjavik three days later. France currently leads Group D with six points and could seal qualification with two wins.
In the RTL and M6 interview, Rabiot said: "I can't absorb or accept what happened to me. It's a kind of betrayal. What happened is done; the important thing is that my teammates know what happened, and that the fans support me and keep following me." He also noted the flood of messages he has received from Marseille supporters on social media and published the message on his own platforms, because it comes from the heart.
Rabiot added that it was important to address Marseille's fans and, for everything else, what happened happened; he remains an optimistic person who looks forward, and he cares that people don't lie about him or claim he's someone he's not.
The French international stressed that he has always been serious and disciplined, and wherever he goes he shows it; he doesn't want to fuel controversy because he knows it won't help and no one can blame him.
He recounted his career arc: the 30-year-old product of Manchester City's and Paris Saint-Germain's academies, who played 227 games for PSG with 24 goals and 14 assists, then moved to Juventus for five seasons (2019-2024), before making five appearances for Milan this season, including an assist against Udinese on September 20.
Rabiot began his youth career at Manchester City and PSG, and accumulated 212 appearances for Juventus, with 22 goals and 16 assists. He also had a loan spell at Toulouse, scoring once in 13 matches.
After leaving Marseille following a single season in which he scored 10 goals and added six assists in 32 matches across all competitions, helping the club qualify again for the Champions League, he has continued to be a France international, with six goals in 55 appearances since debut in November 2016.
Among his honours are five Ligue 1 titles with PSG, four Coupe de France, five Coupe de la Ligue and four Trophée des Champions. With Juventus, he won the league in 2020, two Coppa Italia titles (2021, 2024) and the 2020 Supercoppa Italiana. He also lifted the UEFA Nations League with France in 2021 and earned runner-up medals in 2025 and at the 2022 World Cup.
As transfer sagas persist, football fans worldwide will watch closely how Rabiot and Marseille navigate the fallout from this summer’s drama. And if life gave him a contract extension, he’d likely negotiate a longer vacation—call it strategic rest with a side of cameo magic. Punchlines aside, the next phase promises to be a defining chapter for a player who has never shied away from making bold moves.
