The climate remains electric at Olympique de Marseille. While the season ends in a tense climate, a new controversy is shaking the walls of the commandery. Mehdi Benatia, the director of football, would have hung on this week with a club employee. A muscular disagreement, revealing a climate of voltage behind the scenes. But what seemed to the start a simple lively exchange with an anonymous employee actually hides a differently more sensitive dispute.
Behind this “clash”, there is actually a deep disagreement between Benatia and Jean-Pierre Papin. The former glory of OM, currently responsible for the reserve, would be in the viewfinder of the new management. Already on the hot seat since the fall, Papin would no longer be in tune at all with the orientations fixed by Benatia and his entourage, notably Ali Zarrak. The current no longer passes, and this disagreement would have ended up bursting in broad daylight.
Benatia's blood stroke at OM, and it's not over
The Benatia project is accompanied by a deep reorganization. In search of a new breath, the ex-central defenseman seems ready to jostle everything, even if it means hitting the sensitivities. Historical figures are no longer protected, not even those that embody the club's DNA. After Mbemba and other internal tensions, this new muscular outing leaves a scent of purge in the Olympian organization chart.
A legend pushed towards the exit? Benatia's broom
The possibility of a departure from Jean-Pierre Papin now seems increasingly plausible. Courted last year by Martigues, the 1991 Ballon d'Or could bounce elsewhere. The fact remains that the symbol is strong: at OM, even the icons are questioned.
This showdown speaks volumes on the Benatia method. The Moroccan assumes his choices and imposes his authority, even if it means offending the memory of the club. A risky, but assumed bet.
