later stated that he was happy to remain at Bordeaux and see out the rest of his contract. The defensive midfielder opened the new campaign scoring two goals in the first six matches of the season in wins over Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon. On 16 October 2010, Diarra was involved in a controversial dispute, which resulted in the player being banned from playing league football for six matches. After receiving a yellow card booking from referee Wilfriend Bien in the team's 1–0 win over Auxerre, Diarra responded by pushing the referee with both hands. He was immediately shown a red card and dismissed from the match. After walking off the field, Diarra turned back, walked over to Bien and apologized for the confrontation. After the match, Diarra apologized again for the incident. He was supported by his former coach Laurent Blanc who stated that Diarra made a simple mistake that he immediately regretted as soon as he realized what he did. Diarra was initially suspended for three matches, however, following a November tribunal by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, his suspension was upgraded to six matches. Diarra returned to the team on 27 November playing only the first half in the team's 1–1 draw with Lille. Marseille On 4 July 2011, Diarra completed his much-anticipated move from Bordeaux to league rivals Marseille agreeing to a three-year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed, but is reported to be in the region of €5 million. West Ham United On 10 August 2012, Diarra moved back to England to join West Ham United on a three-year contract, for an undisclosed fee. After joining West Ham United, Diarra said he was delighted to join the club and was looking forward to play in the Premier League. Chairman Vincent Labrune said he had been sold in order to reduce the wage bill. Diarra made his debut for West Ham on 25 August in a 3–0 away defeat to Swansea City coming on as a 69th-minute substitute for Mohamed Diamé. Having made three appearances, Diarra first team opportunities soon became limited when he suffered thigh strain during training in September. In the January transfer window, Diarra made a request to leave the club and criticised Sam Allardyce for holding him back by not explaining his [Allardyce] team selection. Diarra also said that his time at West Ham United has become a waste of time After the