McCourt's camp denies OM sale despite Adidas return

An Olympique de Marseille executive has ended rumors of a club sale, ensuring that Adidas’s anticipated return as kit supplier from 2027 conceals no message about Frank McCourt’s future at the helm of the Phocaean institution.

The saga between Puma and Adidas found its conclusion after several weeks of negotiations: the two kit suppliers reached an agreement allowing the three-stripe brand to reclaim its place a year before the scheduled end of Puma’s contract. Financially, the operation is significant for the club: OM should receive between 32 and 35 million euros per season, compared to just under 15 million currently.

This agreement, however, revived speculation among some Marseille supporters about a possible sale of the club. A senior executive in the OM hierarchy sought to clarify these interpretations in the columns of the Journal du Dimanche. “If this is a harbinger of profound changes, or even a sale of the club? We’ve lived with that for years. Frank McCourt is simply seeking the best possible strategic partner or partners to allow OM to reach new heights. You have to understand that this can take time,” he said.

According to the same newspaper, the American businessman, who has invested nearly 700 million euros since buying the club ten years ago, remains determined to pursue his project. He would not, however, intend to inject new funds this season. The club will therefore have to rely on the work of Stéphane Richard and Grégory Lorenzin to ease the constraints imposed by the DNCG, which was particularly severe during its last review in June.