Stéphane Richard and Frank McCourt during the press conference presenting the new Marseille president on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Credit: Getty Images
The two men presented themselves at eleven o’clock as expected. At the same time, OM released a statement to confirm what everyone could see in the press room of the Orange Vélodrome (where the new club logo was installed): Stéphane Richard is indeed the new president of the Olympique de Marseille. Accompanied by owner Frank McCourt, who was only holding his second press conference since arriving in 2016, the man who has worked in several ministerial cabinets and was CEO of the telecommunications group Orange for over 10 years, and who has some ties to Marseille, delivered a clear speech about his objectives and ambitions.
“This club needs a form of appeasement with its environment. It’s a mission that I like, especially towards the supporters. I will have at heart to see them quickly,” confessed the man who knows the city of Marseille perfectly and the context that surrounds it. “There are sports challenges, financial challenges,,” he continued, “I want to inaugurate and embody a period of seriousness, appeasement, stability, and a period in which I will endeavor to reconnect with the public. I will not take up my duties until the beginning of July (but)this new period starts now.”
For McCourt, who studied several profiles before deciding on Richard, especially after a dinner in London where he was totally “convinced,” the latter has all the characteristics of a “strong leader” necessary for OM. “I want someone who knows Marseille, who has lived here, who has strong entrepreneurial experience, someone who understands the essence of OM and what it means for Marseille, someone who is a business leader, who is profitable. The decision was simple for me […] It was clear that he was the man for this project. The right time, in the right place with the right person. That’s what we need now,” acknowledged the American businessman.
Benatia Will Definitely leave at the End of the Season
While awaiting his assumption of duties on July 2, Stéphane Richard will certainly not remain inactive. He will have oversight over all the decisions made by the current board, especially with an eye towards next season: “Between now and early July, we will set up a transitional structure that will allow me to be involved in the decisions that will need to be made.” McCourt also took the opportunity to confirm the departure of the current sporting director Medhi Benatia at the end of the season. “Medhi was ready to leave as soon as possible, I called him, we spoke, I asked him to stay until the end of the season. It’s a deal, it’s the agreement we have, and that’s what Medhi told me,” indicated the owner of OM.
“I am not a football technician, but I will definitely invest in all areas of club life, including sports,” added Richard. “The whole city thinks and breathes for OM. I am fully aware of the institution that this club represents […] I am a football fan, I have loved this sport since I was a child.” “So uniting these two loves, Marseille and football around OM, is a ‘dream job’ for me,” he insisted, displaying the objective “to place OM among the clubs that are meant to play in the Champions League every year,” by developing “a successful team“.
And preferably with intelligent investments. “OM is part of this small group of clubs that should play the Champions League every year, in the top 3 of Ligue 1. I think that has always been the ambition and it is clearly reaffirmed. But it’s not just a question of means. Some clubs have put colossal means, like Liverpool who invested 480 million euros last year, all of that to end up… I won’t say in a situation of failure, we shouldn’t exaggerate, but there is a lot of disappointment,” analyzed the new Olympian president.
McCourt Open to the Arrival of a “Strategic Partner”
Concerning the club’s ownership structure, Frank McCourt revealed that he was open to the arrival of a “strategic partner“. But he also emphasized that he “expects results on the field,” of course, notably with a qualification in the Champions League at the end of the season. His long-term ambition?
“What makes me proud is that OM is in a better situation than when I took over, we expect it to be in the Champions League every year. It’s a privilege to be the captain of this club. My ambition is to be able to own this club for a very long time, it’s an asset for my family. What matters to me is what is best for OM, not for me.”
Becoming this Friday the third president of the McCourt era, after Jacques-Henri Eyraud and Pablo Longoria, could Stéphane Richard favor a possible contract renewal for the “naming” of the Vélodrome Stadium, since this agreement was sealed during his presidency?
The “Naming” Issue Not Yet Resolved
“I was happy to sign the naming of the Vélodrome in 2016 with Orange, it was a great operation, we saw a lot of Orange during that year,” replied the interested party. “I have no information or knowledge of what the current management of Orange intends to do, so I have no announcement to make. If Orange stops this naming contract, it will be up to us to find a new partner.”
All possibilities seem open in this matter, which will certainly be high on the agenda of the new Marseille president. In any case, he intends to resolve them all, as he envisions staying with OM for the long term.
“I am not entering with a mandate of one year, two years, three years… We must think in the long term, develop a number of projects,” he concluded. “As for the preparatory period, I work for a bank in Paris, I will not let go of it now, I will keep an advisory role for some clients. We will set up a small structure with Alban (Juster) and Medhi (Benatia) to record some information about the club, there are deadlines by July 2, I will take the time to participate in some meetings.“
(With AFP)
