Benatia’s Blunt Revolution: OM’s New Director Shakes Up Marseille

After describing himself as a man who "always says what I think", Medhi Benatia applies the same philosophy in his new role as sports director of Olympique de Marseille. Arrived in January, the former Moroccan international defender imposes a direct style and constant involvement, from monitoring the players’ weight to the club’s strategy.

This working method finds a particular echo with the new coach, Roberto De Zerbi. "We talk until two in the morning, often by videoconference," says Benatia, describing a "beautiful and stimulating" relationship with a coach with "overflowing passion". He reveals that De Zerbi, once overtaken by Fonseca and Conceiçao on the list of targets, was a bold choice, validated by telephone after an initial contact, he explains to Corriere della Sera.

The duo has already experienced a striking success by beating Paris Saint-Germain, a memory that Benatia describes as the "most beautiful day" since his arrival. Faced with a club that "has spent a billion euros", he is realistic but ambitious: "We must work a lot, and even more, to be ready in case they make a misstep. If that were to happen, it will be OM who will win."

This demand for work is accompanied by strict discipline. Benatia returned to the altercation between Adrien Rabiot and Josh Rowe, described as a "fight that we should never see". Faced with a lack of apologies, the management has taken firm measures, leading to the departure of the players. "At the cost of finishing fifth or sixth, we demand seriousness here," he said.

This intransigence is accompanied by a promise of honesty towards his players, to avoid them feeling "betrayed" as he has been in his career, referring to a promise of playing time not kept by Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus. He cites as an example the management of the departure of Luis Henrique, to whom he explained the situation in full transparency months in advance.