Marseille’s turbulent season took a new turn on Tuesday as sporting director Mehdi Benatia returned to the club, two days after stepping down.
He resigned on Sunday, just days after leaving as coach. roberto de zerbi. However, the club’s American owner, Frank McCourt, said in a statement that Benatia had agreed to return until the end of the season to “oversee all sporting activities”.
As a result, club president Pablo Longoria will move into a more organizational role “to represent Marseille within French and especially European associations,” the statement added, which was shared by several media outlets.
marseille 2-2 draw at home with Strasbourg They led 2-0 on Saturday, leaving them in fourth place, 12 points behind leaders Lens. That draw followed a crushing 5-0 loss They lost 3-0 against Paris Saint-Germain and were eliminated from the Champions League against Club Brugge, infuriating their fans.
Benatia was reportedly loyal to De Zerbi, who left the club three days after PSG’s humiliating defeat.
fans are tired of it
During Saturday’s game against Strasbourg, the club’s ultras emptied both stands behind the goal in protest. One banner urged McCourt and Longoria to leave with the words, “All your projects go up in smoke!”
Nine-time French champions Marseille have not won a trophy since the defunct League Cup in 2012. The French Cup is the only place the club can realistically play. They will face Toulouse at home in the quarter-finals next month.
McCourt was scheduled to meet with a select group of ultras later on Tuesday, amid reports that Habib Bey will soon be named coach.
He played as a defender for Marseille from 2003 to 2007. bay was fired Last Monday in Rennes.
Following De Zerbi’s departure, Marseille assistant coach Jacques Abaldonado took over on an interim basis. ___
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