News Focus
- Grégory Lorenzi joins Olympique de Marseille after spending ten years at Stade Brestois 29
- The 42-year-old replaces Medhi Benatia as the club’s sporting director
- Lorenzi had initially agreed to move to OGC Nice before Marseille intervened
- The French side will compete in the Europa League following a disappointing league campaign
- Current head coach Habib Beye faces an uncertain future at the Stade Vélodrome
Olympique de Marseille have confirmed Grégory Lorenzi as their new sporting director. The Ligue 1 club announced the appointment on Thursday.
Lorenzi leaves Stade Brestois 29 after a successful decade-long spell. During his time with the Breton club, he helped them rise from Ligue 2 to the Champions League.
The 42-year-old had originally planned to join OGC Nice. However, Marseille persuaded him to lead their sporting department instead.
Lorenzi now faces a major challenge at one of France’s most unstable clubs. Marseille finished outside the European qualification places and will play in the Europa League next season. They failed to secure a spot in the Champions League.
“OM are a historic club, very special, very popular, very exciting,” Lorenzi told L’Equipe. “We must find the right balance between our sporting goals and our economic reality.”
The future of head coach Habib Beye remains unclear. Reports suggest the former Newcastle United defender will leave the club. Marseille are reportedly targeting Bruno Genesio, who is departing Lille, as his replacement.