Mason Greenwood's objectives with Marseille can not erase his previous arrests whereas a Manchester United participant

Former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood has began life with Olympique de Marseille in France’s Ligue 1 extraordinarily nicely, at the very least on the sphere. The one-time England worldwide has scored 5 objectives from three Championnat appearances as far as a part of a new-look OM facet underneath Roberto De Zerbi with each males arriving at Stade Velodrome over the summer time. Greenwood has scored braces towards Stade Brestois 29 and Toulouse and in addition discovered the online towards Stade de Reims on his dwelling debut.

Nevertheless, regardless of how nicely the 22-year-old performs for Marseille, his shows can not erase what has occurred off the sphere throughout his profession. Greenwood was charged with tried rape, assault occasioning precise bodily hurt in addition to controlling and coercive habits towards his companion in October of 2022. By February of 2023, these costs towards him have been dropped after key witnesses withdrew and new materials got here to mild.

“I’m conscious of this debate and I perceive the query,” said Greenwood at his unveiling. “I don’t want to enter into any controversy. I already had the prospect to talk on this matter final 12 months so it’s now behind us. My companion and I’ve rebuilt ourselves collectively as a pair and spent a 12 months in Madrid. We now have been collectively since we have been 15 or 16 and we now have a gorgeous little woman who simply celebrated her first birthday. I’m now seeking to the longer term and I’m solely centered on OM and our new life collectively in Marseille.”

Greenwood’s first try to relaunch his profession following the incident noticed him be part of Getafe in Spain’s La Liga on mortgage the place he loved a good spell on the sphere. Eight objectives and 6 assists as a part of a midtable Azulones facet reignited debate over his potential United future. Nevertheless, a well-documented conflict with England star Jude Bellingham when taking part in towards Actual Madrid illustrated how tough any potential reintegration could possibly be for membership and nation.

The response to Greenwood’s potential reintegration by United, the conflict with the Three Lions’ present star man Bellingham and most of the people stance in direction of him in his dwelling nation has seemingly dictated his anticipated swap from representing the English at worldwide degree to Jamaica. With Steve McClaren now accountable for the Reggae Boyz and accustomed to the Bradford native from their lengthy associations with United, it was arguably the one possibility obtainable to Greenwood if he wished a way forward for any description at worldwide degree.

Leaving England, and not representing United or the Three Lions, doesn’t imply that his transgressions can or ought to be ignored although, and regardless of optimistic feedback from his supervisor the response to Greenwood in France has been decidedly combined. Marseille’s Mayor Benoit Payan even made his place clear on the potential signing of Greenwood earlier than Les Phoceens’s management went by means of with the deal.

“I don’t need my membership to be coated by the disgrace of somebody who beats his spouse,” he mentioned of the membership that had opened the doors of its Robert-Louis-Dreyfus training facility to female victims of domestic abuse throughout COVID-19. “It’s unacceptable. I can not think about for a second that Pablo Longoria would make such a serious mistake. Greenwood’s habits is unspeakable. I noticed photographs that deeply shocked me. Massacring his spouse like that’s unworthy of a person and I consider that he can not have a spot on this workforce.”

But Greenwood is no longer only a member of Marseille’s beginning XI however arguably its star activate the sphere with 5 objectives from simply three video games to guide Ligue 1’s scoring charts, forward of Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola who has been unleashed since Kylian Mbappe’s departure. Not solely has this inflicted a way of awkwardness on a lot of the fanbase who’re unwell comfy with Greenwood’s previous, it has additionally put De Zerbi firmly within the firing line as essentially the most public supply of help for his under-fire participant.

“There was quite a lot of controversy round him — that’s true,” said the Italian after the Englishman’s double in the win over Toulouse. “I don’t need to get into his non-public life or to speak about it. So far as I’m involved, as an individual and with me, he’s a very good man.”

The previous Brighton and Hove Albion boss has been strolling a tightrope in press conferences and interviews since Greenwood’s arrival, together with his trace that scoring twice on his debut towards Brest would “end all of the media controversy” taking place significantly poorly. De Zerbi tried to justify his stance when talking with L’Equipe forward of this season and in addition defended OM’s resolution to go forward with the transfer after gathering character info on the previous United man.

“I didn’t defend him,” argued the new Marseille tactician. “I mentioned that when a participant turns into my participant then I would be the first to pin him towards the wall if he does fallacious. Outwardly, I’ll all the time defend him as I might defend my son. The private query just isn’t a part of my reasoning. I do know what Pablo did and all the human info that he collected on Greenwood. The membership took all attainable precautions earlier than making a choice.”

The incendiary response to L’Equipe’s current ‘OM-Greenwood: Unconditional Love’ headline prompted the prestigious French publication’s editorial staff to issue a very public apology and speaks volumes concerning the awkward nature of this being thrust upon many Marseille and soccer followers in France, who seem ill-equipped to cope with the difficult technique of speaking a couple of soccer participant whereas foregrounding is off-field historical past. Though the participant’s great kind on the sphere can’t be argued with — and his potential was by no means unsure — his earlier actions can not and won’t be forgotten by many who refuse to miss what has occurred, regardless of what number of objectives are scored or trophies are received with the French giants.