The spiral of chaos has continued over the last week for Olympique de Marseille, with the resignation of sporting director Medhi Benatia shortly following the club’s mutual separation with Roberto De Zerbi last week. In a statement published on Instagram, the former Moroccan international cited a growing “insatisfaction” and an increasingly hostile climate around the club. However, according to Foot Mercato, the roots of his departure extend beyond supporter unrest.
Benatia had reportedly agreed upon a two-phase plan when he arrived in November 2023: after an initial year of financial restraint, greater resources would be made available to strengthen the squad. Those promised funds are understood not to have materialised at the expected level. As a result, recruitment relied heavily on loans, complex payment structures and obligatory purchase clauses. The stop-gap nature of transfer dealings is said to have created mounting frustration, with Benatia feeling he lacked the means to properly deliver the club’s sporting ambitions.Relations with club president Pablo Longoria also reportedly deteriorated in recent months. Once viewed as Longoria’s trusted lieutenant, Benatia’s growing influence within the institution is said to have shifted internal dynamics. According to Foot Mercato, strategic disagreements and the chaotic handling of Roberto De Zerbi’s recent departure further strained the relationship.L’Équipedescribe a director who quickly grew frustrated with the dressing room. Numerous recruits — from Ismaël Koné to Angel Gomes — departed within months, illustrating a transfer-heavy strategy used to reshape mentality as much as quality. In recent months, certain players are said to have grown weary of his constant demands, with Mason Greenwood notably distancing himself.Perhaps most revealing, however, was his relationship with narrative control. L’Équipe report that for the two-year anniversary of his arrival, close allies circulated to pro-OM influencers and media outlets a document highlighting his achievements, written in the style of ChatGPT.With his departure, the decision on the next manager at the club now rests solely on president Pablo Longoria, with Benatia negotiating with former Stade Rennais coach Habib Beye even before handing his resignation. L’Équipe report that a move for Beye has stalled, due to the departure of Benatia and legal complications owing to his departure from Rennes two weeks ago.GFFN | George Boxall