A police incident report was filed after a boardroom dispute over the transfer of mason greenwood at Olympique de Marseille in the summer of 2024 (ET). The confrontation involved sporting director Medhi Benatia and senior executive Cecilia Barontini and reportedly took place in the president’s office at the club training base. Club president Pablo Longoria publicly defended the signing as a market decision taken after careful review and family advice.
Details of the confrontation and the file lodged with police
A senior executive at the club recorded an incident with local police after an internal dispute that escalated over several weeks in summer 2024 (ET). The dispute is described as a heated confrontation in the president’s office between Medhi Benatia, in his role as sporting director, and Cecilia Barontini, who had been charged with overseeing administrative matters alongside Alban Juster by the president.
Barontini opposed several recruitment moves at the time, including the acquisition of the one-cap England international who had impressed during a loan spell at Getafe in 2023-24. The permanent transfer was completed for a fee set at £27 million, and the player had been allowed to leave his previous club after the dropping of criminal allegations in February 2023 (ET). The police incident report was recorded by local authorities after the on-site confrontation.
Immediate Reactions
Pablo Longoria, president of Olympique de Marseille, framed the transfer decision as the result of a deliberate process: “For us it was a massive market opportunity from a sporting perspective where we analysed, very carefully, what really happened. ” He added that he sought the advice of his mother before committing to the deal and said her counsel influenced his choice: “I asked her, having all this information, ‘what would you do in my position?’ And she said to me ‘do it’. “
The club’s internal tensions extended beyond that single move. Concerns were raised by Barontini about other recruitment approaches and about the conduct of Ali Zarrak, who had become a prominent figure in the sporting structure alongside Benatia. A separate personnel matter highlighted in the dispute involved Youcef Atal, whose situation had led to an eight-month suspended prison sentence and a €45, 000 fine from a court after sharing a controversial video following the October 7, 2023 events (ET).
What comes next for Mason Greenwood
With Marseille facing financial pressure, club management has opened the door to offers from the Saudi Pro League and other buyers as part of a broader plan to sell several key players this summer (ET). The squad was built with prior coaching requirements in mind, creating uncertainty around multiple contracts; Geronimo Rulli and Geoffrey Kondogbia are named among those who could also leave.
The internal governance fallout is expected to continue to shape transfer strategy and personnel decisions at the club. The filing of a police incident report and the public defence of the transfer by Longoria suggest both immediate financial decisions and possible organizational aftershocks as Marseille moves to balance sporting aims with fiscal needs. Club officials and local police will likely handle follow-up inquiries in the coming weeks, and mason greenwood’s future remains linked to both on-field form and the club’s evolving financial plan.
