Benatia says “I am free” over possible Paris Saint-Germain future

Mehdi Benatia says he would not rule out working for Paris Saint-Germain in the future, insisting his previous comments about the club were an honest answer to a hypothetical question rather than an attempt to secure a job.

The former Olympique de Marseille sporting director caused controversy when he discussed the possibility of joining Paris Saint-Germain on the programme The Bridge, at a time when he was still working in an administrative role at Marseille.

Benatia left Marseille at the end of last season and has now addressed the issue in an extensive interview with France Football. He said his remarks had been misunderstood and that there was no contradiction in considering a role with one of Marseille’s biggest rivals.

“I was answering the question that caused the controversy, but my words were 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 Morocco international also rejected criticism that his comments represented an effort to attract the attention of the Paris Saint-Germain hierarchy.

“I am free. What should I do? And for whom?” he said. “I tried to serve Marseille in the interests of the club. Paris Saint-Germain are the rival, so what?”

He added: “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.”

Any move between the two clubs would carry particular significance because of the long-standing hostility between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain. Players rarely move directly between the 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 Paris Saint-Germain’s recruitment director from 2006 to 2011.

Benatia details Marseille breakdown

In the same interview, Benatia explained the circumstances that led to the breakdown in his relationship with Marseille’s leadership and ultimately his departure as the club’s director of football.

He identified a team trip to Kuwait in January for the Champions Trophy match against Paris Saint-Germain as the decisive moment. The game ended 2-2 before Marseille lost on penalties.

During that trip, Benatia said a meeting with then-president Pablo Longoria and club owner Frank McCourt exposed the scale of Marseille’s financial problems.

“I understood that we had to sell players for 30m euros,” he said. “So I got rid of Robinio Vaz and Daryl Bakola, who did not want to renew their contracts, and I also used loan deals to reduce the wage bill.”

“But I was angry with everyone.”

Benatia said the meeting marked a turning point in his relationship with the club’s management, although he had not decided to leave at that stage.

“That was the point of separation, but I had not decided to leave,” he said. “I was extremely angry: I was fighting for the club, and then I discovered the financial situation.”

“I felt betrayed by the situation. When accounts differ, I like to bring everyone around the table. Nobody can lie or evade the issue.”

Benatia also said he left Marseille without signing an agreement preventing him from discussing his time at the club.

“When I left Marseille, I asked for nothing and I did not sign anything related to confidentiality,” he said. “There was no need to buy my silence. What I have to say is very expensive, and the truth has no price.”

Defending his record at Marseille, Benatia pointed to the club’s transfer figures and said he could not be held responsible for the financial position he inherited.

“When I arrived in November 2023, Marseille were under the supervision of the club financial control body. Who was responsible? I was not there,” he said.

“Over two and a half years, we sold players for 259m euros and spent 275m euros on signings. People can lie, but figures do not lie.”