Mehdi Benatia has made a surprising and significant reversal of his decision, remaining at Marseille just days after announcing his departure from his position as sporting director of the southern club.
The Moroccan, who had reportedly clashed with Mason Greenwood, had officially decided to leave after the 2-2 draw with Strasbourg on Sunday, but club owner Frank McCourt stated that he would stay on.
On Tuesday, McCourt put an end to the speculation by announcing that Benatia would indeed remain in his role, and not only that, but he would be given even greater responsibilities.
“Benatia isn’t going anywhere,” McCourt said in a press release. “In fact, he will take on more responsibilities than before, which will see him oversee all sporting activities.”
The past few weeks have been chaotic and somewhat disastrous for Marseille. A string of 3-0 defeats in the Champions League saw them eliminated from the competition, and Marseille also failed to win their last three Ligue 1 matches, ultimately leading to the departure of manager Roberto De Zerbi.
Moroccan media have linked Benatia with a move to the Moroccan national team in the near future, given the expected changes following the imminent dismissal of Walid Regragui.
