Whilst Olympique de Marseille have seen a resurgence in results in recent weeks, the upcoming winter transfer window could cause further headaches for the club’s management. Having failed to sign a single player last summer, the Marseille-based club is likely to be forced once again to cut costs and trim its squad to meet the requirements of the French financial regulator.
This is a tricky situation, which OM’s former sporting director Mehdi Benatia has commented on, pointing the finger at his former president Pablo Longoria for the club’s predicament. “The coach (Roberto De Zerbi) thought that in January we’d have €30 million to spend on signings, to bring in a top striker,” the former Juventus player said in an interview with Canal+. “When I told him, ‘Coach, you’ve got it wrong – we need to bring in 35 million euros!’, he said, ‘What?! But that’s not what I was told!’ Well, no – neither was I!”
When asked again about feeling tricked by Longoria, Benatia replied bluntly: “He lied to me, that’s for sure. I’m saying it on TV: he lied to me. Of course he lied to me! In fact, people think I’m an idiot. They’re trying to sell me something…” These comments certainly help us understand a little better how Marseille ended up in the situation they find themselves in today.
GFFN | Léo Aschi
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