On RMC Thursday evening, Mehdi Benatia, OM advisor, expressed his confidence in the club's project and stressed that the main objective is qualification for the Champions League, while remaining ambitious for first place. He also discussed the winter transfer window, the team's progress under De Zerbi, as well as the growing attractiveness of OM for quality players.
Mehdi Benatia, OM advisor and candidate to become the club's sporting director, delivered a rich and passionate interview this Thursday evening on RMC in After Foot. Here are the main takeaways from his statements:
- Goal of the season : “A successful season if we finish 2nd? Of course,” Benatia said. He insisted on the ambition to aim for Champions League while keeping an eye on first place. “The basic objective, when you finished 8th and you changed 14 players, is to enter the Champions League”he added.
- Arbitrage : Benatia expressed her dissatisfaction with French arbitration, stressing that it is difficult to establish a dialogue constructive with the referees. “Here, you can’t talk!” »he lamented, referring to the management of matches and contested decisions.
- Hivernal market : Concerning transfers, Benatia assured that OM would be active and strengthen the team. He specified that the objective was to “reinforce intelligently” the team, although the club does not have the means to make large investments.
- The Pogba case : Asked about Paul PogbaBenatia recognized the esteem he has for the player, while remaining cautious about the possibility of a transfer. “We’ll see if there are any departures”he clarified.
- Rabiot and his arrival : Benatia explained that Rabiot did not come to OM for the money, but rather for the sporting project, underlining the importance of players like him in the evolution of the club.
- Club attractiveness : The former Moroccan defender revealed that many quality players were interested in OM. “Very good players are interested in coming”he said, being optimistic for the future.
- Long term project : Benatia highlighted the solidity of the project 3-5 years from OM. He praised the unity within the club and the involvement of the shareholder and managers, in particular Pablo Longoria, to move in the right direction.
- De Zerbi, a passionate coach : On By ZerbiBenatia revealed that the coach is ready to “die for your team”. He also praised his commitment and his desire to make OM play in his image.
- Wahi and the young players : Benatia mentioned the case of Placeemphasizing that he is a quality player and that he must be given the necessary time to adapt. He called for patience and support for young players.
- Last season and evolution : Benatia compared the current situation to last season, where OM had difficulty producing play. “Last year, we didn’t make three passes”he regretted. Today he is satisfied with the progress, particularly in terms of character and cohesion with the stadium.
Benatia's intervention showed a man determined to see OM grow, with ambitious projects and a clear desire to establish a competitive team.
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