On August 22, the Côte d'Azur derby, at the end of the game, Nice fans rushed into the stadium to create a riot, and the people who caused the riot were not surprising.
As a frontcourt player, Dimitri Paye's "offensive talent" is reflected not only on the pitch, but also on the sidelines and in life. As long as he has the opportunity, he will launch an attack on others, no matter the time and place, whether active or passive. Smashing back the water bottles thrown by the Nice fans, making a fierce derby battle, also allowing Paye himself to bear the criticism of the media again.
The oddity about the 34-year-old Frenchman is really more than just his hairstyle.
At the end of August last year, Paris Saint-Germain lost to Bayern in the Champions League final, and that night Paye leisurely pulled out his mobile phone and wrote a few words on Twitter, mocking Marseille's nemesis. One player, who spoke on condition of anonymity and had been a teammate with Paye in the national team and club, said: "I really don't understand the point of him doing this! He taunts his opponents on social media, which he often does, and even makes a big fuss at press conferences. The Paye I know is not like this, and some people change when they get to Marseille. ”
Some laughed at Paye's pranks, while others didn't capture his intentions at all. But Paye was not satisfied. Once, in the face of the media, he said that he was willing to take responsibility for this and did not regret this behavior. "I just sent a tweet that made me feel happy. In the past, people always complained about players saying clichés and nonsense, but now let's taunt and say too much. It's funny! ”
Since putting on the Marseille jersey, Paye's hostility towards Paris has indeed increased day by day, and after beating Paris 1-0 away from home last season, the "Marseille 10" sent out a PS picture, putting Neymar's head on a dog, which naturally triggered a wave of criticism and reprimands. Paris fan and rapper Kule Shane even offered to go head-to-head with Paye!
Former Marseille manager Parsi was willing to defend his disciples: "Why doesn't he have the right to ridicule?" That's always been part of football. Paye is seeking to provoke the Parisians and make the Ligue 1 competition more balanced. He succeeded and the Paris player fell into a trap. And in that game, Paye was kicked all the time, but he didn't say anything. What the outside world cares about is always something innocuous. ”
In the Internet age, the way and environment of sarcastic opponents has become more open, which is an unavoidable problem. Elie Bopp, who previously coached Paye at Marseille, said: "The world of football has become like this, what can you do? Stop such farces and don't fall into the trap? Hard! I have a very good impression of Paye, he is a super player and a good person..."
Most of my friends in football laughed at Paye's cyberattacks, but no one was surprised. They all said that the Paye they knew was like this, mischievous and fond of joking. Former teammate Faney laughed and said, "Paye is very talented at P-charting and editing videos. When we were in Marseille, we had a WhatsApp chat group, and he used to post pictures and put our heads on women or animals. He likes to taunt us, but he also makes us laugh. In turn, he doesn't mind being mocked by others. He was always so energetic. ”
All along, Paye was like that, no matter who was on the other side. In his mind, everyone was the same. In June 2017, when France beat England at the Stade de France, Paye looked at French President Macron, who had walked into the dressing room to congratulate the team, and said to his teammates: "Finally there is a president who supports the right team!" ”
Born in Reunion, Paye always did not open the door on his lips and said something unpleasant. On the pitch, in training, in the locker room... He jokes regardless of time or occasion. Former Lille teammate Cheju smiled and said: "If he completes a beautiful pass in training, or shakes the defender down, he will often go back and taunt the opponent. He actually has no malice, but such behavior will make many people unhappy. To be honest, he's a really good guy, I've asked him for a jersey many times for my African friends, and he always says yes and then happily does it. ”
Former Saint-Etienne teammate Laurent Bartles, too, felt the same way. "We like to stay after training and play free kicks. Those who are punished will inevitably be ridiculed by the other party, but these are jokes that exist between children. Paye is a really great buddy and with him I had a lot of fantastic times. Just because of those things on Twitter, labeling him as a 'bad boy' is a bit harsh. ”
In fact, since he was a child, Paye's reputation has not been very good. In 1999, at the age of 12, Paye came to France from Reunion to join Le Havre, and he gave the impression of a "difficult child". A coach who has coached Paye made a simple and straightforward assessment: "He has very good skills, but there are some problems with his brain. ”
Young children are prone to many mistakes, just as there are in Paye. Such a personality almost ruined his career. Forced to pack up and leave Le Havre and return to Reunion, Payé waited 3 years for the opportunity to join Nantes. There, he clashed fiercely with former French national Mendes.
As the main player of the World Cup, Butters was unhappy that Paye was not invested enough in training and competition, and once used a press conference to publicly express his dissatisfaction: "He was always full of fantasies and couldn't figure out where he was." "During a training session, Butters shoveled Paye from behind, right under the nose of head coach Zacharian... "Get up, don't cry here." The young Paye was so upset that he angrily threw the water bottle at the isolation net and returned to the reserve locker room.
In Saint-Etienne, Paye had friction with Matuidi and even held his own teammates in one game. Fani recalled: "Paye really had a personality, and if an idea popped up in his head, he would stick to it. He's very stubborn, and if you have a conflict with him, you'll feel like he's having a hard time getting tangled up. But it must be admitted that Paye will always be true. He also knows how to introspect if necessary; if he makes a mistake, he knows to admit it. ”
When he first played for Marseille (2013-2015), Paye was on a bad spell with Valbuena, arguing that the latter had stolen the right to take the set-pieces that should have been his own. He would even insult Valbiena's mother several times under the nose of club manager Anigo. Until now, the relationship between the two has remained tense.
Towan, who left Marseille this summer, also did not deal with Paye. At a press conference, Paye commented on Towan, who was at odds with himself: "He? I have nothing to say. And his friendship? On the pitch, off the pitch. ”
Former Marseille player Dironde sighed: "In the past two years, I think Paye has matured a lot. At the beginning of his career, he was a little too energetic, but now it's different. What I saw in him was more of a strength of character. Look at everything he's been through in his career, see how he keeps falling, keeps getting up, and finally becomes the vice-captain of Marseille... This is the power of character. To do this, you have to have personality. ”
In explaining and defending himself, Paye never hides his true thoughts. "When I want to upset people, it's clear what to do. But now, this is rare, and I'll immediately turn around and become dumb. It's not really a good thing for me and the team. ”
Paye always liked to tell the truth, not knowing that some topics were taboo. At the pre-match press conference at Marseille against Lyon, he even verbally attacked rudi Garcia, the coach who once coached himself. Cheju explains: "Paye doesn't understand what political correctness is. He had no words in his mouth, and he said whatever he wanted in his head. ”
In October 2015, Paye lost the squad for the national team, and others often chose to be silent in the face of the same situation, but Paye, who played for West Ham United in the Premier League at the time, publicly expressed his dissatisfaction. "I've been at the highest level of my career for over the last year. So, for me, it is unfair not to be in the list of the French team! Cameroon left-back Berdymo, who retired from Marseille in 2018, believes: "Without personality, Paye would not have had a career like that. The world of football is not full of teddy bears, and if you are not tough, you cannot survive. He may be too strong in personality, but his experience says it all. ”
In the opening match of Euro 2016, Paye, who played well, helped France beat Romania 2-1 with a world wave shootout, and shed tears after the game. "All geniuses are sensitive, they feel things differently than ordinary people," Parsi said. I remember one time in training, Bielsa didn't like his performance, thought he wasn't running enough, and criticized him. Paye left the field in anger, but when he returned, he got better and the subsequent games got better and better. He's a guy who never lies. ”
Some people are always concerned about Paye's weight, and some people often accuse him of not working hard enough in training, which Cheju believes makes no sense. "When the fitness coach told him he was 2 kilograms overweight, I can guarantee that he will redouble his efforts in subsequent training. For the sake of the team, he always did his best. ”
Paye also has a label on him as team leader, although the Marseille captain's armband is not always worn on his arm (goalkeeper Mandownda is the first captain). Bedimo said Paye was an optimist and often organized events to boost team cohesion, such as arranging meals. Fani said that Paye was very honest and had no interest in pleasing others. "I can assure you that he did a lot of things when the camera wasn't there. I've seen a lot of players holding poor kids in their arms in front of the camera, and the cameraman drops them as soon as he leaves. Paye, on the contrary, doesn't sell dreams to the camera. ”
Originally | Oliver Bossar
Compile | wave
Edit the | DBSQ