After Roberto De Zerbi’s exit, will Pablo Longoria and Medhi Benatia stay in charge at OM? | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi has left OM after the Classique thrashing, leaving uncertainty around the hierarchy. Director of football Medhi Benatia has signalled an unclear future, and president Pablo Longoria has stayed in the background.

According to L'Équipe, the owner’s camp confirmed the split overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, and OM later marked it with a one minute and 15 seconds tribute clip featuring September 2024’s 3-2 win at Lyon and last summer’s YouTube series.

The 0-5 at the Parc des Princes on Sunday accelerated the end, with no public backing the next day. Longoria returned to Marseille late on Monday, and Benatia told contacts he might leave soon.

Speaking in Kuwait, Benatia said he was not projecting himself and suggested others could soon take their places, citing economic constraints. On De Zerbi, he said the exit was painful, responsibility was shared and better solutions were needed, adding he was talking despite what he described as a media ban from Frank McCourt’s teams.

De Zerbi asked for his assistants to be paid to June 2027 and for five months’ salary for himself, giving up the final year of his contract. His agents, recently involved in the Robinio Vaz matter at Roma, are now working on his next move.

Longoria accepted the split. Whether the three-year project launched in May 2024 continues is open, with Longoria having stepped back while Shéhérazade Semsar de Boisséson, Antonello and Benatia handled specific areas. It is unclear whether the owner will change course or personnel.

Source: L'Équipe