English Premier League
Mehdi Benatia says Paris Saint-Germain move remains possible after Marseille exit
Mehdi Benatia says he would be open to working for Paris Saint-Germain in the future, insisting his comments about the club were misinterpreted and that he is free to make the career decision he considers right.
The former Olympique de Marseille sporting director caused controversy when he discussed the possibility of joining Paris Saint-Germain on the programme The Bridge, while he was still working in an executive role at Marseille.
Benatia left the French club at the end of last season but has now revisited the subject in an extensive interview with France Football. He said his remarks were not intended as an approach to Paris Saint-Germain, but were simply an honest response to a hypothetical question.
“I was answering the question that caused controversy, but what I said was interpreted incorrectly,” Benatia said, as reported by RMC.
“My message was not: if Nasser Al-Khelaifi calls me tomorrow, I will go. I have a good relationship with him, and if he calls me in several years and the opportunity is right for me, I will go.”
The former Morocco international rejected the idea that his comments should have been considered unacceptable because of Marseille’s rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain.
“I am free. What should I do? And for whom? I tried to serve Marseille in the interests of the club. Paris Saint-Germain are the rivals, and so what?” he said.
“We are professionals and we work. I do what I want. That was the message, and it was absolutely not an attempt to offer my services.”
The issue carries particular weight because of the long-standing hostility between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain. Players rarely move directly between the two clubs, while such a switch involving senior officials is even less common.
One notable recent example is Alain Roche, who played for Marseille in 1990 before becoming a recruitment official at Paris Saint-Germain between 2006 and 2011.
Benatia also gave a detailed account of the events that led to the breakdown in his relationship with Marseille’s management and ultimately his departure as football director.
He said the decisive moment came during the club’s trip to Kuwait in January for their Trophee des Champions meeting with Paris Saint-Germain. The match finished 2-2 before Marseille lost on penalties.
During that trip, Benatia said a meeting with then-president Pablo Longoria and owner Frank McCourt revealed the extent of Marseille’s financial difficulties.
“I understood that we had to sell €30m-worth of players. So I got rid of Robinio Vaz and Darryl Bakola, who did not want to renew their contracts, and I also used loan deals to reduce the wage bill,” he said, according to RMC.
“But I was angry with everyone.”
Benatia said the meeting marked a turning point, although he had not decided to leave at that stage.
“That was the point of separation, but I had not decided to leave. I was extremely angry: I was fighting for the club, then I discovered the financial situation,” he said.
“I felt betrayed by the situation. When accounts differ, I like to bring everyone around the table. Nobody can lie or avoid the issue.”
He also explained why he left Marseille without signing an agreement preventing him from discussing his time at the club.
“When I left Marseille, I asked for zero and I did not sign anything related to confidentiality. There was no need to buy my silence. What I have to say is extremely costly, and the truth has no price,” he said.
Defending his record at Marseille, Benatia pointed to the club’s transfer figures and said he was not responsible for the financial position he inherited.
“When I arrived in November 2023, Marseille were under the supervision of the clubs’ financial control body. Who is responsible? I was not there,” he said.
“Over two and a half years, we sold players for €259m and spent €275m on signings. People can lie, but figures do not lie.”
