Marseille’s tumultuous season took another unexpected turn on Tuesday as sporting director Medhi Benatia made a surprising return to the club just two days after resigning.
Benatia stepped down on Sunday, shortly after the exit of coach Roberto De Zerbi. However, in a statement, club owner Frank McCourt announced that Benatia had agreed to return for the remainder of the season to “oversee all sporting activities.”
This reshuffle means that club president Pablo Longoria will transition into a more institutional role, as stated in the announcement, which has been reported by multiple media sources. Longoria’s new position will involve representing Marseille in both French and European organizations.
Recently, Marseille drew 2-2 with Strasbourg at home, after initially leading 2-0, and currently sits 12 points behind leader Lens in fourth place. This draw came on the heels of a disappointing 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain and an elimination from the Champions League following a 3-0 defeat against Club Brugge, prompting angry reactions from the fanbase.
Benatia was reportedly supportive of De Zerbi, who departed just days after the heavy defeat against PSG.
During the match against Strasbourg, the Ultras in both goal stands chose to vacate their seats in protest, unveiling a banner that called for the resignation of McCourt and Longoria, declaring, “all of your projects go up in smoke!”
The nine-time French champions have not secured a trophy since winning the now-defunct League Cup in 2012. Presently, their sole chance for silverware lies in the French Cup, where they will face Toulouse at home in the quarterfinals next month.
McCourt is expected to meet with some Ultras groups later on Tuesday, and there are reports that Habib Beye, recently dismissed from his role at Rennes, will be named the new coach.
Following De Zerbi’s exit, Marseille assistant coach Jacques Abardonado has stepped in as the interim manager.