Regragui and Benatia reunite on Canal+ screens after Morocco and Marseille links

Walid Regragui and Medhi Benatia are set to work together after being appointed football consultants by Canal+, ending months of speculation about a possible partnership at club or international level.

The two prominent figures in Moroccan football will take up their new roles on the French broadcaster’s coverage of European Cup matches and Premier League fixtures, the channel announced on Wednesday during its new-season presentation in Paris.

Regragui, 50, will appear on European Cup evenings and during Premier League matchdays, according to Le Parisien. Benatia will also contribute to European football programmes and will be involved with Late Football Club.

The pair could share some evening television panels, creating a collaboration that had previously been discussed in a very different context.

In mid-February, Regragui’s name was reported as a possible candidate to replace Roberto De Zerbi as manager of Olympique de Marseille after the Italian was dismissed.

At that time, Regragui was still officially in charge of Morocco, although his resignation had already been submitted behind the scenes. The development came almost a month after Morocco lost the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to Senegal, who won 1-0 after extra time on 18 January.

The possibility of Regragui working under Benatia at Olympique de Marseille, where Benatia was then sporting director, generated interest in both the Moroccan media and the wider football landscape.

The two men were regarded as leading figures in Moroccan football, with Regragui having guided the national team and Benatia occupying a prominent role in the administration of Olympique de Marseille. However, the proposed partnership in Marseille never progressed beyond speculation.

Seven months later, the collaboration will now take place, but in a different country and in a different capacity.

Regragui’s departure from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) was officially announced on 5 March. Benatia, meanwhile, formally ended his time with Olympique de Marseille on 30 June.

Their move into broadcasting gives both men a new platform in French football coverage. Regragui is expected to feature across Canal+’s coverage of European Cup nights and Premier League action, while Benatia’s appearances will include European football and the channel’s Late Football Club programme.

The appointments bring together two figures whose names had been linked earlier in the year with a possible working relationship at Olympique de Marseille. That prospect ultimately failed to materialise, but Canal+ will now place them in the same football coverage during the new season.

The broadcaster made the announcement as part of its presentation in Paris, confirming that the former Morocco coach and former Olympique de Marseille sporting director will begin working as television consultants.