Back at his training club for a few months in the role of an advisor, Mehdi Benatia has just been inducted as director of Football at Olympique de Marseille. The sporting project of the current runner-up of PSG in Ligue 1 now rests on the shoulders of the ex-captain of the Atlas Lions.
The circle has truly come full circle for Mehdi Benatia who, at 37, will embark on a management career at Olympique de Marseille, the club in which he made his professional debut in 2006. Returned in November 2023 in a very influential advisory role , the former captain of the Atlas Lions has officially occupied the position of director of football since Wednesday. It was in a press release, published on its official website, that the Marseille club announced the news.
“Mehdi Benatia now directs the entire sporting policy of the club, from the training center to the first team,” we read.
Pablo Longoria, president of the club, at the initiative of this choice, sees in Benatia a key player for the development of the ambitious sporting project of OM, which currently occupies second place in the Ligue 1 ranking, at 7 points. of PSG.
A career marked by growth
Trained at OM, Mehdi Benatia did not manage to permanently integrate the first team when he started. It was by joining Clermont Foot in 2008 that he demonstrated his full potential in central defense. His performances attracted the attention of Udinese where he played between 2010 and 2013, a year during which he participated in the great epic which saw the Friuli club finish in 5th place in the ranking, synonymous with qualification for the Europa League. The following season, he moved to AS Roma, where he established himself as one of the best defenders in Serie A, but failed in the quest for the title.
With the Gialorossi, and under the orders of Rudi Garcia, he indeed finished in second place, far behind Juventus Turin. But it’s only a postponement. In 2014, he joined Bayern Munich, where he won his first titles: two Bundesliga (2014–2015 and 2015–2016), a German Cup (2016) and the German Super Cup (2016). He then made a triumphant return to Serie A under the jersey of the ogre of Juventus, with whom he enriched his record of three consecutive titles as Italian champions (from 2017 to 2019), two cups (2017 and 2018) , a Super Cup (2018) and reached the final of the 2017 Champions League (defeat against Real Madrid).
In the meantime, with the Atlas Lions, he leads the selection which qualifies for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a first in 20 years for Morocco. After a professional career of almost 15 years, Benatia announced his retirement in 2021, but never stayed away from the world of football. We saw him in the consultant’s costume on television during the 2022 World Cup.
A strategic role in Marseille
As director of football, Mehdi Benatia will oversee all sporting dimensions of Olympique de Marseille. His role covers both the development of young talents within the training center and the management of the first team.
This appointment comes as OM seeks to reposition itself as a major player in Ligue 1 and on the European scene. Last summer, the former defender played a key role in the transfer window, contributing to the arrival of several important recruits. His experience and international network are seen as assets for the club.
“Olympique de Marseille is delighted to be able to count on the vision, experience and professionalism of its new football director,” concludes the official press release.
A personality at the service of excellence
As a former top player, Benatia brings in-depth knowledge of the demands of modern football. His time at clubs like Bayern and Juventus gives him a legitimacy that few can claim. Pablo Longoria sees in the former Lions captain a central figure in structuring the club’s sporting project.
“He is a man of the field, but also of reflection. His experience is a valuable asset to meet the challenges awaiting OM,” declared the president in a press interview.
The former Moroccan international takes up his new role while the train is moving, with already a major challenge to overcome: managing the winter transfer window to allow the Marseille club to keep up with PSG in the championship.
Sami Nemli / ECO Inspirations
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