Benatia criticises Marseille generations: they no longer have the courage to take responsibility

Medi Benatia, former sporting director of Olympique Marseille, has launched a sharp attack on the mentality of some players within the team, criticizing the lack of leadership and accountability, and also directing his criticisms towards the young players in the club's academy.

In an interview with "Canal+", Benatia spoke about his experience with Olympique Marseille, where he served as a sporting advisor between 2023 and 2025, before taking on the role of football director from 2025 to 2026. He emphasized that he could not accept the presence of players who do not give their all for the team.

Benatia said: "There is no place for arrogant stars here, football does not know that. We need men who take responsibility. Today there are no longer leaders, but people who act cunningly and feel jealous."

He pointed out that these behaviors start from early age groups, explaining that he noticed them while watching the youth matches at the club, including the matches of his son Kays, who plays with the under-17 team.

He added: "I watch all the youth matches, and I see some players deliberately not passing the ball to their teammates, or trying to obstruct another player because he is competing with them for a place in the team."

Benatia described the mentality he sees as prevalent among young players as the "cursed generations" before directing a sharper criticism at the first-team players, saying: "They no longer have the courage! It’s easy to say you wear the Marseille shirt, stroll around the city, own a beautiful villa, and earn a lot of money, but when you step onto the Vélodrome pitch, you have to take responsibility."

He added: "When you lose the ball and you have to run 50 meters to get it back, you have to do it!".