Marseille Director Unleashes Fury After Champions League Elimination
Olympique de Marseille's sporting director Medhi Benatia has launched a blistering attack on his club's players following their dramatic Champions League exit, insisting that stars including Mason Greenwood should face significant consequences for their performances.
Painful European Exit Sparks Outrage
The French giants were eliminated from Europe's premier competition on Wednesday night following a comprehensive 3-0 defeat by Belgian side Club Brugge. Despite entering the final matchday with hopes of securing a play-off spot, results elsewhere conspired against Marseille as they missed out on goal difference.
Benatia, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career with clubs including Bayern Munich and Juventus, expressed profound disappointment at his team's capitulation. "I want this to have consequences for the rest of the season," the former defender declared. "I hope it will have consequences, that they will ask themselves the right questions."
Director Questions Player Commitment
While acknowledging that some players "gave their all and fought hard," Benatia described the performance as "a s****y night, even a shameful one." He emphasised that while losing matches is acceptable at a club of Marseille's stature, the manner of defeat was completely unacceptable.
"When you're at a club like this, you can lose matches. You can't lose like tonight," Benatia stated, highlighting what he perceives as a recurring problem within the squad. "We're dealing with a recurring problem. In the league, we've sometimes explained it as a lack of motivation against seemingly weaker teams."
Public Apology Demanded for Supporters
The director insisted that the players must publicly acknowledge their failure, stating: "Football has to be respected, and tonight we have to apologise to the fans, to the people who make sacrifices for this club." Drawing on his own extensive playing experience, Benatia added: "I've lost matches in my career, but I've rarely felt this sense of shame, being capable of conceding six goals in two games."
Warning Issued to Manager and Senior Players
Despite currently sitting third in Ligue 1 under former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, Benatia sent a clear warning to the Italian tactician, demanding changes to the side for future fixtures. However, he maintained that primary responsibility lies with the players themselves.
"When you have this kind of disgusting, horrible defeat, people tend to blame the coach," Benatia acknowledged. "But I attend the talks. All week, we knew they were going to attack hard, that they would start strong."
The director posed a rhetorical question that cut to the heart of his frustration: "If there's a player in the box and four of us are watching him, is that the coach's fault? No, it's not the coach's fault."
Season at a Critical Juncture
With Marseille preparing for a league encounter against Paris FC this weekend followed by a crucial Coupe de France round of sixteen tie against Rennes on Tuesday, Benatia emphasised the importance of immediate improvement.
"I'm waiting for the guys to be a bit more focused," he stated, specifically addressing experienced players with "250-300 matches under their belts." "I hope they're the ones who will realise that we have a season to finish, with a Cup we have to go for."
Benatia concluded with a stark warning about the team's inconsistency: "Against Rennes, do you know what team you're going to face? If I draw that team, against Rennes, we'll concede five goals too. On the other hand, if it's the team against Lens, you're capable of winning."
The director's extraordinary public criticism places significant pressure on key players including Mason Greenwood, who has been Marseille's top scorer this season with twelve league goals, as well as experienced campaigners like former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and ex-Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
