Newcastle United loanee Florian Thauvin has been told he must “give it his all” or simply retire by a former Marseille player after the winger claimed that he was “very tried” following a poor performance earlier this month.
Pascal Olmeta, who played for the Ligue 1 side between 1990 and 1993, slammed the 23-year-old winger in a column in local publication La Provence.
Since returning to Marseille on loan in January, Thauvin has made 11 Ligue 1 appearances and scored just one goal, without providing an assist.
Thauvin - who signed for Newcastle from Marseille for £13million last summer before returning to his former club on loan just six months later - played the entirety of the Ligue 1 side’s 2-1 loss at Bastia in on April 3.
French publication L’Equipe gave Thauvin just a four out of 10 for his own performance, and the winger commented after the game: “I don’t know what to say. I feel very tired.
“There are times where you have to recognise that you’re fed up. I need to take a step back.”
Following Thauvin’s statement, ex-Marseille keeper Olmeta raged about Thauvin - who will return to Newcastle in the summer - telling the winger to start performing or simply retire.
In his column in La Provence, Olmeta fumed: “After the Bastia game, Thauvin said he was tired.
“Either he gives it his all or stops playing football altogether.
“And if you want to leave the pitch, at least do it with an intelligent red card.”