Bad news keeps coming in Marseille
After Roberto De Zerbi, it was Medhi Benatia who left a ship that had been capsizing for many weeks. The manager announced his resignation from OM in a press release yesterday, just a few days after the first rumors of a resignation requested and then refused by Frank McCourt. This time no conditions are set, Medhi Benatia is indeed leaving Marseille after 2 years spent at OM. “Despite recent disappointments and certain cruel scenarios, sportingly, the project is moving forward, but I cannot ignore the current climate. I feel a growing dissatisfaction, a breakup that I deeply regret“, declared Medhi Benatia to justify his decision. According to our information, this departure highlights deep dissensions within the Olympian organization chart. One of the major keys to this departure lies in the brutal deterioration of relations between Medhi Benatia and its president. This beautiful idyll had become one of the great strengths of the Marseille club, but it has recently deteriorated. Longoria would have taken umbrage at the growing weight of Benatia within of the institution and among the players, taking a dim view of the new aura of his football director. The Marseille president even admits behind the scenes that he did not take well to the latest hostile banners against him at the Orange Vélodrome against Strasbourg, and has not digested the chaotic management of De Zerbi’s departure and the poor sporting performances of 2026 which he half-heartedly blames on his former football director.
The Catalan press dismantles Real Madrid
The two new penalties obtained by Vinicius Jr are the talk of Catalonia. “The kings of the penalty”, writes the newspaper Sport. Real Madrid have already had 13 penalties this season in La Liga, we are on a record pace since the second is Girona with 7. This is also the first time that a Spanish club has a difference of +10 between penalties obtained and penalties conceded. Even at European level, Real is far ahead of the others because Bayern is second with “only” 9 penalties obtained. A dangerous precedent, even adds the Sports World. We know that refereeing is a real debate in Spain, it is even more so when Real regularly obtains penalties. “Vinicius Jr lunges every time he notices slight contact“, adds the Barcelona newspaper. For the Catalan press, this high number of penalties does not pass and it shows.
Cascade of injuries at Arsenal
The list of injured players continues to grow for the Gunners with Calafiori and Ben White being added to the cascade of injuries. Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Mikel Merino, the list was already very long and that is enough to worry Mikel Arteta who still dreams of a historic quadruple with Arsenal. So that didn’t stop the Premier League leader from quietly disposing of Wigan in the FA Cup, a 4-0 victory thanks to a very good Eberechi Eze who came out of his hiding place. 2 assists for the former Crystal Palace player, a successful performance for Bukayo Saka in a different role, Arteta even announced that he could use him in a more central position. In any case, the Spanish technician risks having to find solutions to compensate for the injuries.
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