Strasbourg captain Emmanuel Emegha, who will join Chelsea in the summer, has been suspended for at least one match by this club for his poor attitude in recent weeks, sources have told ESPN.
The Netherlands international, 22, will miss the game away at Toulouse in Ligue 1 on Saturday. He is expected to be back for the trip to Aberdeen in the Conference League next week but it has not been confirmed yet.
Strasbourg were angered by some public comments made in interviews by Emegha recently. He told French media that the reason why his team lost against AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain or Marseille earlier this year was because "he was not playing" in these matches.
He also told a Dutch newspaper that he thought Strasbourg was in Germany prior to his arrival from Sturm Graz in the summer 2023.
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Some of his behaviour on the pitch has not gone down well within the club either -- Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior had a long chat with the striker about his attitude.
The Strasbourg ultras booed him and protested after his transfer to Chelsea was announced in September.
Emegha accepted the club's suspension and expressed his contrition in a statement on Instagram.
"I accept and understand the club's decision to suspend me for this weekend," he wrote.
"I'm 22 years old, I've made mistakes, and I know I still have a lot to learn. And I have to learn from this. I know I need to do better, and I will do better, on the pitch and off it; to represent the club. That's important to me."
"I want to make it clear that I never intended to hurt anyone. Since I arrived here at 19, I have always given everything for Strasbourg. I'm proud to play for Racing and I'm proud to wear the captain's armband."
"I had a long conversation with President Marc Keller. We spoke honestly, I thank him for his advice. He knows how much I love this club and how hard I work every day. I also want to thank all my teammates and the staff, coach Liam Rosenior, sporting director David Weir, and everyone around the team. They see me every day, they know who I am and how I work," he continued.
"Sometimes my words can be misunderstood, especially if you don't know me. But one thing is certain: I have the utmost respect for Strasbourg, for Alsace, for La Meinau, for our supporters, for my teammates, and for the entire club."