Stéphane Sessègnon: Is Keeping the Disgruntled Star Worth Distraction to PSG?

The past week has seen a major rift form between Paris Saint-Germain star midfielder Stéphane Sessègnon and club manager Antoine Kombouaré.

First documentation of an issue came from L'Equipe on 21 December, when it reported that PSG's midfield maestro had handed his gaffer a transfer request.

After keeping him at Parc des Princes was made a summer priority, fighting off the likes of Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, Sessègnon has not trotted onto the pitch for a meaningful game with the PSG XI since August's 3-1 loss at the hands of Sochaux, and has only been handed 30-minute-or-less run-outs ever since, losing out on significant playing time to the resurgence of 34-year-old wide man Ludovic Giuly.

This understandable frustration, coupled with no demonstration of shame in making demands in the past, made for his request coming as no surprise to parisiens.

Of course, seeing as Les Rouge-et-Bleu have a legitimate shot at taking the Ligue 1 crown and have a vested interest in three different cup competitions, including the UEFA Europa League, Kombouaré made it clear that Sessègnon would need to stick around.

"I said there would be no departure," Kombouaré told the media. "I defend the interests of the team. We need everyone because the squad is small."

Today though, it seems that there is far more to the seemingly innocent request than originally released.

When asked about conditions at the club that led up to his desire for a move from Paris, Sessègnon responded that things between himself and Kombouaré have gotten so bad, staying at PSG is outside the realm of possibility.

"The coach insulted me," he told L'Equipe.

"I believe that a coach cannot call one of his players 'a******' or call him 'a s*** player' as was the case with me on Tuesday.

"Under these conditions, it appears to me that it is impossible to continue to play for Paris. Impossible."

Kombouaré, however, told AFP that he has a very different recollection of Tuesday's training session.

"I accept that the discussion was animated, but never would I permit myself to insult him in such a manner."

No matter what really went down in Logues, something clearly needed to be done with Sessègnon, and as a result, Kombouaré saw the Benin international out of the squad for Wednesday's visit to Nancy.

Despite being felled for the first time since August in the 2-0 defeat, Les Parisiens showed no signs of allowing the Sessègnon-Kombouaré feud to serve as a distraction.

PSG put Nancy on their heels up until Mamadou Sakho's 14th minute sending off, and continued to attack throughout the first half, creating several scoring chances despite having just ten men.

And while their final third forays did not pay off, PSG certainly put in a workman's effort, displaying great focus and determination amid the off-field dilemma.

Judging by the solid performance just days after the flare up, it seems keeping hold of Sessègnon through the end of the season would not be terribly detrimental.

Paris Saint-Germain are lucky to have great leadership with captain Claude Makélélé, commanding keeper Grégory Coupet and budding general Mamadou Sakho to steer the club in the right direction—and just maybe keep their compatriot Sessègnon focused upon football.

Sessègnon, when on the pitch with a chip on his shoulder, is undoubtedly one of the best players in Le Championnat.

And while Giuly and summer signing Nenê are currently showing great runs of form, it is hard to imagine a situation in the near future wherein Sessègnon will not play a starring role in Les Rouge-et-Bleu fortunes as they fight along four championship fronts.

If PSG can ink adequate reinforcements next month, maybe Kombouaré would reconsider his stance.

But with such a small squad and the unlikelihood of bringing in a comparable January replacement for No.10, placing faith in leadership and professionalism is just about a must in the Sessègnon situation.