Cheyrou leaves Marseille

Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou has left the Ligue 1 club after having his contract terminated at a tribunal.

The 33-year-old has been with the current league leaders since 2007, but had fallen out of favour since the arrival of coach Marcelo Bielsa and was without a top-flight appearance this term.

Cheyrou confirmed on Friday that he is now a free agent.

“My contract with Olympique de Marseille is terminated,” he said in an interview with footligue1.fr. “I am free of any commitment, I am no longer under contract with OM from today.

“That’s why I want to communicate my situation today. I could not do that until the [tribunal] process was completed.”

Explaining the circumstances of his departure, Cheyrou said: “It is quite tricky but there was a project that was good for the club and for me, that really interested me, and then at some point we could not reach an agreement.

“The president began to show me a project that attracted me. Then we had to refine the details, and it is at this time that there was a difference of opinion. Then there was no hope for working together.”

Cheyrou also took a parting shot at Bielsa, criticising his relationship with players at the club.

“With the coach there has been very little communication, but this is not someone who talks a lot with the players, at least from what I could see,” he added. “There was already the language barrier, he uses an interpreter.

“I think this is not a coach that has much dialogue with his players.

“My situation was not clear to me and there was much confusion between the management, the coach and myself.”