Mehdi Benatia—notably a former sporting director at Olympique de Marseille (from 2023 until this past summer)—made headlines last May by hinting that he would be open to taking a role at Paris Saint-Germain if club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi ever “needed” him. In an interview with France Football, he revisited those remarks, which he claims were “misinterpreted.”
“We’re professionals; we work. I do what I want.”
“It was misinterpreted. The message wasn’t, ‘If Nasser [Al-Khelaïfi] calls me tomorrow, I’ll go.’ I have a good relationship with him, so if he calls me in a few years and it makes sense for me, I’ll go. I’m a free agent. What do I owe? And to whom? (…) PSG is the rival—so what? We’re professionals; we work. I do what I want. That was the message. It wasn’t a pitch to get hired at all.”
Benatia thus dismisses the idea that he is actively seeking a position at PSG in the near future, while also defending his stance: he is under no obligation to turn down an opportunity—should one arise—simply because of his past at OM. Being a professional with his own career takes precedence over the rivalry.
This kind of talk often sits poorly with fans—as seen whenever a player or executive joins a major rival—yet it isn’t entirely unreasonable. After all, a role at PSG would be a great opportunity for Benatia, and it is easy to see why such an offer would be hard to refuse. That said, it isn’t currently on the cards, as PSG is making good progress and no major changes are looming.
Perhaps it could happen down the line, though it would come as a surprise—not only because the rivalry matters, but also because his track record at OM wasn’t particularly impressive.
“
