Medhi Benatia to leave Marseille director role at season's end

Olympique de Marseille's director of football, Medhi Benatia, will leave the club at the end of the current season. The 36-year-old former defender will depart his role when his contract expires, as confirmed by Marseille's owner, Frank McCourt.

McCourt confirmed the news during a press conference on Friday to introduce the club's new president, Stéphane Richard. He revealed that Benatia had initially planned to leave earlier but agreed to stay on until the end of the current campaign. "Medhi was ready to leave earlier, I called him, we talked together, I asked him to stay until the end of the season, which he accepted, but he told me: 'Boss, I'm leaving at the end of the season,'" McCourt stated. "That's the agreement we have. I can confirm, based on our discussions, what he has shared publicly."

Benatia, a former Moroccan international defender, returned to Marseille in a front-office role in the summer of 2023 after a playing career that included spells at clubs like Bayern Munich and Juventus. His time as a player at the club was brief, but he was brought back to oversee sporting operations. His tenure has been marked by a period of significant change and restructuring within the club's sporting department.

The confirmation of his departure comes on the same day Marseille introduced Stéphane Richard as the club's new president, succeeding the long-serving Pablo Longoria in a broader administrative reshuffle. McCourt, the club's American owner, indicated that the decision was a mutual and pre-arranged agreement, rather than a sudden dismissal. The search for Benatia's successor as sporting director is expected to begin in earnest as the season concludes.

Benatia's departure marks the end of a relatively short but notable chapter in Marseille's recent history. His tenure saw the club navigate a challenging period in Ligue 1 and the Europa League. His exit is part of a broader transition at the club, which is seeking to re-establish itself as a consistent force in French and European football. The club has not yet indicated who might succeed Benatia in the key sporting director role, a crucial position as Marseille looks to rebuild and challenge at the top of French football.