Unsurprisingly, it didn’t go down very well
Lille midfielder Renato Sanches appeared to give Marseille supporters the middle finger after he was substituted in the Ligue 1 clash at the weekend.
Jocelyn Gourvennec’s men took the lead in the 15th minute through Newcastle United target Sven Botman, with the centre-back heading home from a corner.
However, the away side were then reduced to 10 men when Benjamin Andre was sent off in the 32nd minute, which ultimately helped Marseille get back into the game in the second half.
Former Leicester City man Cengiz Under levelled proceedings in the 75th minute and despite Jorge Sampaoli’s side pushing hard for a winner, Les Dogues managed to hold on and secure a point.
Portugal midfielder Sanches attempted to waste time by slowly walking over to the bench when he was substituted in added time, which didn’t go down very well with the home fans.
As the 24-year-old was heckled by supporters as he made his way to the bench, he appeared to produce an obscene gesture to the Marseille fans sat behind the bench.
Lille’s Renato Sanches giving Marseille fans behind the dugout the middle finger after his substitution.
I’m sure this will go down well… pic.twitter.com/zbK90T8rSr
— Tom Scholes ⚾️ (@_TomScholes) January 16, 2022
Sanches has enjoyed life in France after making a permanent move to the Stade Pierre Mauroy from Bayern Munich in 2019, winning the 2020/21 Ligue 1 title and the 2021/22 French Super Cup since his transfer.
The midfielder has made 18 appearances so far this season, scoring one goal and grabbing two assists – with Lille enduring somewhat of an underwhelming season in their defence of the title, sitting in 10th position.
In December, it was reported that Sanches was eyeing a move away from France in the January transfer window, with the 24-year-old linked with a move to Arsenal.
Speaking to L’Equipe, Sanches said: “Who is interested in me? Maybe Milan and Arsenal are interested, but I don’t know.
“I talked to my agent, I know which clubs are calling and which are not, but now I can’t tell. But I know I’m ready. If it happens, I’ll see what’s best for me.
“Milan? It’s a great club, a historic club. It’s classy. I like it. I was supposed to go to Barcelona in the summer, then my injury blew everything up. Leave in January? I know I’m ready. If an offer comes in.”
Sanches joined Swansea City on loan for the 2017/18 season, but made just 12 Premier League appearances as he failed to adapt to the English top-flight.
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