Ligue 1: Bottom of the table for the first time in nine years, how did MHSC fall so low ?

Jordan Ferri au tapis. L'image d'un Montpellier qui ne parvient pas à se relever d'un début de saison alarmant mais, hélas, prévisible. Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

TV rights crisis, inability to recruit, absence of influential executives: Montpellier is paying dearly for a negative spiral that it must nevertheless reverse by hosting Auxerre, Sunday (5 p.m.) at La Mosson during the 5th day of Ligue 1.

Serenity has flown away between Grammont and Mosson. Since the summer of 2021, Laurent Nicollin has repeated in vain that he wants to live a season "more serene than the previous one". It is not taking that path. "The match against Auxerre is important for the rest of the season, for the morale of the players and the president who is starting to get fed up" he gets annoyed at the end of a grueling summer at the head of the Professional Football League (LFP) and Montpellier Hérault, plunged to last place as he approaches his 50th birthday.

How did Montpellier fall so low? Almost nine years after the defeat conceded at La Mosson against Monaco, at the start of autumn 2015, he is lighting up his horizon at the red lantern. One point in four games, thirteen goals conceded, an inefficiency like Mosson: Michel Der Zakarian's team is dragging a soul in mourning, a competitive spirit without spring and a feeling of exhaustion shared by most of its executives.

Manna of TV rights in free fall

Montpellier is paying a high price for the TV rights crisis. The 500 million euro discount deal with DAZN and BeIN is weakening the finances of the club managed by Laurent Nicollin. "Instead of getting 19.5 million euros, we get three times less (7 million). We hope to reach 9 or 10 million", he explained at the end of July.

The fall in rights, against a backdrop of conflict between the LFP and Canal Plus, is the end of a crisis born with the Mediapro fiasco in 2020. And the end of illusions for Montpellier, with ambition indexed on the share of this contract. In four years, it has gone from 30 to 40 million to less than 10ME. For a budget of 50ME, last year. Montpellier is not alone in this turmoil. Reims, Brest, Le Havre… have not missed their start to the season.

Transfers in decline, lack of recruitment

MHSC, which deplores a deficit of 20 to 30 million, does not have a penny to recruit, refresh a squad, weighed down by a policy of high salaries, and especially renew its executives, at « performance judged insufficientt ».

Neither midfielder Joris Chotard, contacted by Wolfsburg, nor Jordanian international Mousa Tamari have found a way out. In the absence of a departure in the transfer window, Montpellier could not meet the expectations of its coach Michel Der Zakarian.

In the spring, the management triumvirate – Nicollin, Carotti and Mézy – shared the same view as Der Zak to recruit two defensive midfielders, or even a striker, and place Wahbi Khazri and Jordan Ferri on the transfer list. “They know what we want. Wahbi has a release voucher. Jordan is ready to go, but we need proposals”.

“If they are there on September 1st, we will have to put them in the best conditions so that they are the best possible”, estimated Laurent Nicollin at the start of the season. Neither the striker (33 years old) nor the midfielder (32 years old) have had an offer other than to Bastia (L2) for the first, and to the Middle East or Turkey for the second.

Failure in the renewal of executives

Khazri and Ferri have not left. If they play little, they keep a considerable weight in the locker room alongside the emblematic captain Téji Savanier, the goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte or Joris Chotard. And, a capacity to cause harm.

The former Tunisian international (74 caps), who ended his career with the Carthage Eagles after the World Cup in Qatar, scored five goals in 52 matches (33 starts) over the last two seasons. A performance neither in line with his status nor his salary.

An attack orphaned by Wahi

The casting error also affects the attack. If Montpellier suffers from the choice of its executives, the transfer to Lens (30 million euros) of Elye Wahi has left a big void. And frustrated a team focused on the game.

In a very hectic season (2022-23), the new Marseillais had led a flamboyant, balanced and complementary attack. Alongside Maouassa, Khazri, Nordin, Mavididi or Germain, Wahi had scored 19 of the 65 goals. Close to the records of the year of the title (Giroud 21 of the 68 goals).

To replace Wahi, Mavididi (Leicester), Maouassa (Bruges) or Germain (Australia), Montpellier bet on the Jordanian Mousa Tamari, Kelvin Yeboah, who left at Christmas, Tanguy Coulibaly and Akor Adams. With a steep drop in efficiency with only 43 goals, including 8 for Adams.

“We made a mistake at one point”, we slip. Since 2021, Montpellier has failed to renew its executives. It forced veteran Vitorino Hilton, always ahead in training and with an impeccable lifestyle, into retirement, and striker Andy Delort took to his heels. The Sète striker, who had obtained everything: salary, armband, responsibility and perhaps more, has let go of president Laurent Nicollin.

To replace Hilton and Delort, Montpellier has placed its trust in ex-Parisian Mamadou Sakho, ex-Marseillais Valère Germain, then ex-Stéphanois Khazri. And none of them have met a dual expectation: to be a high-performing player and the guide of an ever more rejuvenated locker room. Montpellier is still looking for reliable players who are faithful to its DNA, such as Brest's Steve Mounié could have been, to supervise its squad.

Der Zakarian scapegoat of a squad that exonerates itself ?

Did this failure lead to a situation that exploded in October 2023 with the altercation between Sakho and coach Michel Der Zakarian ? Or did the coach fall into the trap of a hierarchical locker room between downgraded executives and newcomers to the breaking point ?

Der Zak, savior of the homeland on his return in February 2023, suddenly became the culprit, the scapegoat of a squad, in solidarity with his former partner.

Since 2021, this group, irritated by criticism from Olivier Dall'Oglio, unhappy with interim Romain Pitau and now managed by Der Zak, has often absolved himself of his responsibilities. At the very least, he liquefied (victimized) after the real-fake expulsion of Elye Wahi in Strasbourg, in February 2022, or after the firecracker affair last fall. Before finding a certain flame again when the fire of a possible relegation was smouldering. Driven by the fear of a relapse that most of them have already experienced. Will it be the same this season ?

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