Former Moroccan international and Olympique de Marseille player Medhi Benatia has resigned from his role as Marseille’s sporting director, as chaos continues to swirl around the club.
His departure follows that of head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who left the club by mutual consent on Wednesday following Marseille’s 5-0 Ligue 1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain the previous Sunday.
The club fell short of qualifying for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League after losing 3-0 at Club Brugge in their final league-stage fixture on 28 January.
Under the guidance of interim coach Jacques Abardonado, Les Olympiens blew a 2-0 lead over RC Strasbourg at the Stade Vélodrome, ending in a 2-2 draw. The game witnessed protests from fans, who boycotted the opening 15 minutes of the fixture and whistled at their team during the match.
Benatia cited the “current climate” at the club as the reason for his departure.
“I am leaving with the feeling that I have done my utmost on a professional level, but with regret that I have not been able to calm the environment around the team,” said Benatia in a social media post.
“Despite recent setbacks and some cruel sporting scenarios, the project is moving forward.
The former Juventus and Bayern Munich defender also cited the breakdown of relationships.
“But I cannot ignore the current climate. I feel a growing dissatisfaction, a rift that I deeply regret. In Marseille, results are the only judge.”
Marseille sits fourth on the Ligue 1 standings, 12 points behind league leaders RC Lens.