Samir Nasri defends Habib Beye: "When he became coach, everyone was waiting for him with a sniper rifle."

Samir Nasri, now Habib Beye's successor at Canal+, finds it unfair to attack the OM coach this season by bringing up the harsh analyses from his past as a consultant.

During his time at Rennes and, especially, over the last four months as manager of Olympique de Marseille, coach Habib Beye has repeatedly faced criticism regarding his past as a Canal+ pundit. Some have criticized his strong opinions about certain coaches, even before he had a chance to manage himself. And on social media, clips of the former Canal+ commentator's analysis, particularly of Luis Enrique, have resurfaced.

When questioned about the matter in an interview with L'Équipe, Samir Nasri, Beye's successor as the channel's star pundit, expressed his regret over the attacks: "I found it unfair. Habib Beye should have been judged on his ability, or lack thereof, to coach OM; that should have been the only focus these past four months. He shouldn't be judged because three years ago he stated that he didn't understand Luis Enrique's handling of the Mbappé situation. At the time, he was paid to be a pundit and give his opinion. And when he became a coach, everyone was waiting with a sniper rifle to shoot him down. It's not right. If we want to have committed pundits who bring added value, we can't attack them like that."

But Samir Nasri, who plans to get his coaching badges soon, doesn't seem fazed by the media backlash. "It doesn't scare me, and I'll always stand by what I say," the former Marseille player asserts. "I've always acted this way, even when I was wrong. I'm not trying to curry favor or telling myself I can't criticize someone just because I hope to be a coach someday, and I especially don't want to close any doors."