Medhi Benatia: 'I could not abandon the club' after Marseille u-turn | OneFootball

Medhi Benatia has reversed his decision to leave Marseille, accepting owner Frank McCourt’s request to remain as sporting director after a turbulent spell.

“For many reasons, I could not abandon the club in these conditions. It’s a club that is dear to me, where I came through,” said Benatia. “I accepted the owner’s request to stay until the end of the season out of a sense of responsibility. There was no intrigue or takeover.” He told Le Journal du Dimanche.

Benatia had signalled his intention to step away earlier this month amid mounting tensions behind the scenes. McCourt intervened during a visit to Marseille to stabilise the structure, and Benatia is now expected to oversee sporting operations until the campaign ends.

However, the plan remains for him to depart at the end of the season. The club is expected to begin identifying a successor in the coming months.

The situation forms part of a wider reorganisation at the club, with Pablo Longoria likely to leave the presidency. Marseille named Alban Juster as interim president this evening.

Source: GetFootballNewsFrance.com