Montpellier coach Michel Der Zakarian said he replaced Mamadou Sakho at the end of the match due to calf cramps following dehydration linked to his fasting during Ramadan.
As has been the norm since the start of the season, Mamadou Sakho (33) was substituted before the final whistle of Montpellier’s match on Sunday against Toulouse (1-2). Montpellier coach Michel Der Zakarian said he replaced the French international defender (29 matches, 2 goals) due to cramps following dehydration related to his fasting during Ramadan. This phenomenon was exacerbated by the deadly sun (to a temperature of about 20 degrees) and the match schedule in the middle of the afternoon (3 pm).
He had cramps in both calves.
“He had cramps in both calves,” Hérault’s technician explained after the meeting. With Ramadan, men get dehydrated and if they don’t prepare well in terms of food… it’s even more hot.”
The administration of Ramadan (which started on March 22 until April 21) has moved the first division in recent days after the words of Antoine Compouire, coach of Nantes, assuming to dispense with the services of the Algerian international Juan Hajjam in the face of his refusal to interrupt. Fasting. Michel Der Zakarian, however, is not in the same logic and maintains that some of his workforce are coping. “On game day, some players eat and procrastinate,” he adds.
Pedro Mendes’ Great Comeback (Failed)
Arriving at Montpellier in 2021, Sakho has been playing sparingly this season (13 appearances, 1 goal), during which he has started six times. On Sunday, he gave up his place in the 78th minute of play to a great comeback, Pedro Mendes, who has not played since May 21, 2022. It was even the second appearance for the Portuguese after he ruptured his cruciate ligament in his knee in April 2021. His recovery has been greatly complicated by a foul. He created a great opportunity for the opposition before wasting the tackle on Toulouse’s second goal.
Dir Zakarian explained that he had been training with us for four weeks to justify his choice of trusting the former Rennes. Naturally, I put him in his position. He missed one or two interceptions and caught who gave the positions to the opponent. . He made mistakes, and the other players too. It’s not just Pedro that we lost the game, it’s our collective team. We’re all involved, including me.”
