Medhi Benatia accuses Pablo Longoria of lying over Marseille finances

Former Olympique Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia has publicly accused ex-president Pablo Longoria of misleading him about the club’s financial situation during their time together at the French club.

Speaking on Canal+’s new programme Menu Latour, presented by Bertrand Latour, the Moroccan former defender revisited the disagreements surrounding Marseille’s January 2026 transfer plans.

Benatia reveals January transfer disagreement

Benatia explained that former Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi believed the club would have €30 million available to recruit a top-class striker during the winter transfer window.

However, the financial reality was different, with Marseille needing to generate €35 million through player sales rather than invest in new signings.

“When I told him, ‘Coach, you haven’t understood, we need to bring in €35 million!’ he replied, ‘What? But that’s not what I was told.’ Well, neither was I,” Benatia recalled.

Longoria comes under fire

The former sporting director subsequently directed his criticism towards Longoria, who was Marseille’s president at the time.

“He lied to me, at least. I’m saying it on television: he lied to me. Of course he lied to me!” Benatia declared.

His comments have reopened discussions about the disagreements that contributed to the breakdown of Marseille’s previous leadership structure.