McCourt seeks Gulf investors to shore up Marseille without selling the club

Frank McCourt is seeking financial partners in the Middle East to strengthen Olympique de Marseille’s equity, according to information published by the Journal du Dimanche. The American owner of the Phocaean club, who arrived in 2016, is not considering selling his shares but wishes to open the capital to new shareholders, likely from the Persian Gulf region.

Club president Stéphane Richard confirmed the direction taken by McCourt. “He has committed to covering the anticipated losses for the upcoming season. He is not turning off the tap,” he said, before adding: “Frank McCourt is a present, committed shareholder. He has already announced that he is ready to welcome partners into OM’s capital.” These statements temper speculation about a hasty departure by the American owner.

The move comes in a tense sporting and financial context. Marseille is going through a difficult start to the season, and the club was forced to pursue a very restrictive recruitment policy during the last transfer window. The arrival of outside investors could help ease this budgetary constraint without resorting to a total sale.

Journalist Guillaume Dacquet, a specialist in Marseille news, emphasizes that the choice of the Journal du Dimanche as the channel for disseminating this information is not insignificant. “Knowing that the JDD is THE official communication channel chosen by McCourt. It is totally deliberate to leak all of this right now. Are we approaching a major turning point soon?” he analyzed.

Several scenarios remain on the table: entry of minority shareholders, strategic partnership, or debt restructuring. None of these options corresponds to the outright sale demanded by part of the Marseille fan base, but all could fundamentally change the club’s governance and investment capacity.