Benatia accuses Longoria of lying to him about OM's finances

Medhi Benatia has broken his silence on his time at Olympique de Marseille by making a direct accusation against his former president Pablo Longoria: he allegedly lied to him about the club’s finances.

The former Marseille sporting director revisited the winter transfer window of the 2024-2025 season, revealing a telling scene with Roberto De Zerbi. “The coach thought that in January we would have 30 million euros to recruit and bring in a top striker. When I told him: ‘Coach, you don’t understand, we need to bring in 35 million euros’, he says to me: ‘What? But that’s not what I was told’. ” Benatia added soberly: “Well no, me neither.”

The conclusion is unambiguous. “He lied to me anyway. I’m saying it on TV: he lied to me. Of course he lied to me.” Heavy words, spoken publicly by a man who had nonetheless climbed the ranks quickly within the Phocaean club: arriving in November 2023 as a management adviser, he became sporting director on January 8, 2025, with a contract running until June 2026.

The end of Benatia’s Marseille adventure was chaotic for both men. Benatia had announced his resignation before being convinced to stay until the end of the season. Longoria was pushed out last summer. De Zerbi was dismissed mid-season. A triple departure that left deep scars in a club already weakened by disappointing results.

These statements come as OM turns the page on this turbulent period. They nonetheless reignite questions about the club’s financial management under the Longoria era, and the real conditions under which sporting decisions were made.