Official | Marseille appoint Medhi Benatia as Director of Football | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille have officially announced via a club communiqué that Medhi Benatia has been appointed as director of football at the club, after acting as a sporting advisor at the club since November 2023. It could be seen as a promotion for the former Moroccan international and OM centre-back, who has worked closely with club president Pablo Longoria for the past year in a consultancy capacity.

The club state Benatia had been “fully involved with the president in the launch of the club’s ambitious long-term project, including the transfer window last summer,” adding that his new role will see him in charge of “the club’s entire sporting policy, and the youth academy to the first team”.

https://x.com/OM_Officiel/status/1877034625794527702

In the summer Benatia worked with Longoria to overhaul the first team after the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as head coach of Les Phoceens. This included bringing in former Premier League talent in Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Neal Maupay as well as securing the signature of former Juventus and PSG man Adrien Rabiot.

The former OM youth academy product returned to the club in November 2023 after finishing his playing career in 2021, which spanned the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus, and AS Roma. He became a player agent initially after retiring representing several clients including Enzo Millot, and Azzedine Ounahi before becoming a sporting advisor at OM.

GFFN | George Boxall