Big shake up at Marseille! Medhi Benatia to stay despite announcing resignation as club owner confirms ex-defender will pick Roberto De Zerbi's successor

The Moroccan had initially taken to social media on Sunday to confirm he was stepping down from his role as sporting advisor in the wake of coach Roberto De Zerbi's exit by mutual consent. However, following a high-stakes visit to the city this Tuesday by the club's American owner, McCourt, the landscape has shifted entirely. Benatia is now moving into a significantly expanded role where he will oversee the entirety of the club's footballing department during a critical transitional phase for the Ligue 1 giants.

McCourt’s intervention has effectively promoted Benatia to the most powerful sporting position at the club for the time being. The decision comes just as fans are demanding stability following a disastrous run of results. With the sporting direction now firmly in his hands, Benatia’s immediate priority will be finding the right candidate to lead the team from the dugout, following a period of significant instability in the technical area.

In an official statement released on Tuesday, the club’s owner made the new hierarchy crystal clear, confirming that Benatia will now lead 'all sporting activities' and will be the primary figure in charge of selecting the future head coach. This move centralises all footballing decisions under the former centre-back, who was previously working alongside the club's president on recruitment and strategy.

The fallout from this restructuring leaves president Pablo Longoria in an increasingly precarious position. Once the undisputed architect of the Marseille project, the Spaniard has seen his influence significantly curtailed. After a tenure marked by high turnover and recent failures on the pitch, including a humiliating 5-0 defeat to rivals Paris Saint-Germain, Longoria is being moved away from the day-to-day football operations that once defined his presidency.

The official word from the club suggests a strategic pivot for the Spaniard. McCourt's statement explained: "The role of Pablo Longoria should evolve towards his institutional responsibilities, in order to maintain the representation of Olympique de Marseille within French and especially European bodies." 

With Marseille reeling from the shock departure of De Zerbi and a painful exit from Champions League contention, McCourt felt compelled to act. The billionaire owner rarely makes such direct interventions, but the scale of the current crisis demanded his personal presence in the south of France. He has challenged the remaining leadership to deliver a swift solution to the current vacancy on the touchline.

Addressing the supporter base directly, McCourt provided clarity on the club’s immediate roadmap. "As the owner of the club, I am coming to Marseille and taking, once again, my responsibilities so that the club remains focused on its objectives," he stated. "Under the supervision of Medhi Benatia, the appointment of a new coach will be announced soon. My ambition for the club remains intact. Let us mobilise in the service of OM."

The pressure is now firmly on Benatia to justify McCourt’s faith. By pulling him back from the brink of resignation, the owner has tied the club’s immediate future to Benatia's vision. The search for a successor to De Zerbi will be the first true test of this new power dynamic, as Marseille look to salvage what remains of a season that had promised so much but has, so far, delivered only frustration.

Fans remain sceptical of the constant shuffling behind the scenes, yet the clarity of Benatia’s new mandate offers a glimmer of hope. As the club pivots toward a new chapter, this institutional shift marks the end of an era for Longoria’s total control. All eyes now turn to whom Benatia will identify as the right person to lead the first team back to the heights expected by the demanding Marseille faithful.