Rennes Coach Embroiled in a Controversy With Senegal’s Coach Aliou Cisse

Rennes coach Julien Stephan is embroiled in a controversy with Senegalese gaffer Aliou Cisse over striker M’Baye Niang’s injury.

Formerly of AC Milan, the 24-year-old attacker has been slated to feature in Senegal’s recent draw with Brazil.

Taranga Lions coach Aliou Cisse had doubted Rennes’ claim of the striker being injured, ordering the star to show up at a hotel in France to be checked by the national team doctors.

Niang had turned up with his representatives and lawyer but later stormed out in anger. The Senegalese team were headed to Singapore for the international friendly, with a stopover in France.

News filtered out of a fall-out amid reports the Senegalese federation could lodge a complaint to FIFA against Rennes’ “devised plots” to deter them from fielding M’Baye.

The West Africans would go on to tie the Selecao but the injury saga is still to subside after Cisse’s latest claims that the French Ligue1 outfit had been playing the forward despite being injured.

The remarks understandably didn’t sit well with Julien who opted to jibe back.

“It’s wrong! I am not a doctor but I certified that there were no major problems. He (Niang) needed to recover but he absolutely did not play for three weeks with an injury, as some said,” Julien whose Rennes are perched fifth in the standings, sarcastically saID.