Frenchman Desailly supports Moroccan Benatia

Former French star Marcel Desailly praised the strong statements made by former Moroccan international Mehdi Benatia, sporting director of Olympique Marseille, following the team's loss to Lorient, considering that they accurately expressed the group's current reality.

While attending the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony for the year 2026 in the Spanish capital, Madrid, on Monday, Desailly confirmed that Benatia summarized the situation clearly and boldly, noting that the Moroccan official showed the extent of the frustration he feels, especially in light of the efforts made by the administration to provide the best conditions for the players, in exchange for the absence of the desired results on the field.

The former Olympique Marseille defender added that the team lacks the fighting spirit that distinguishes the big clubs, explaining that the fans are waiting to see players fighting fiercely to defend the club’s colors, which has not been seen in recent matches.

Desailly also considered that the current crisis is related to the mental aspect more than anything else, highlighting that the team presented good levels at the beginning of the season, before it clearly declined in the recent period.

The same spokesman pointed out that Olympique Marseille remains a very special club, as it imposes constant public and media pressure, which may be the reason for some players’ inability to deal with tension and loss of focus in crucial moments.

Desai concluded his speech by emphasizing that the team's chances still stand, calling on the players to cling to hope and work to overcome the difficult stage in order to achieve the minimum goal of ensuring qualification to the Champions League next season.