Olympique de Marseille owner Frank McCourt has consistently maintained that he has no intention of selling the Ligue 1 club, yet several prominent figures within French football who have closely interacted with the American billionaire are now convinced he is quietly considering a cession of the club, according to a report by MadeInFOOT.
Ten Years of Financial Deficits and Sponsoring Growth
As the club marked a decade under American ownership following the October 17, 2016 takeover from Margarita Louis-Dreyfus for 45 million euros, financial evaluations paint a starkly contrasting picture. RMC Sport reported that McCourt has injected roughly 800 million dollars into the club over the ten-year span while dealing with persistently red accounts and mounting supporter friction at the Stade Vélodrome. Despite the turbulent sporting results and the absence of a major trophy since the takeover, commercial operations experienced notable growth. Sponsoring revenues surged by 250 percent to reach 71.7 million euros in 2025 compared to 28.9 million euros at the time of purchase, while ticketing receipts nearly doubled and overall club revenues climbed 70 percent over the decade.
Valuation Realities and Spending Reductions
Sport.fr reported comments from journalist Romain Canuti indicating that McCourt originally entered French football anticipating a billion-euro domestic television rights package and a closed-format European competition, neither of which materialized in the projected manner. Consequently, the owner has reportedly grown frustrated with recent management practices and has moved to curb spending. Interlocuteurs cited by RMC Sport suggest that McCourt now recognizes the club is not worth the one-billion-euro valuation frequently whispered in potential sale speculations. Because he faces no immediate financial pressure to offload the asset, he is positioned to wait patiently rather than rush into a forced transaction.
Midterm Planning and Coach Reassurances
Amid ongoing speculation regarding the ownership structure, manager Bruno Genesio recently sought clarity on the club’s trajectory following a series of league matches. But! Football Club reported that Genesio met with president Stéphane Richard and sporting director Grégory Lorenzi to secure guarantees regarding the medium-term project before a 2-0 victory over Troyes. While the manager emerged reassured that the leadership was building beyond immediate sporting emergencies to plan for the upcoming season, local observers continue to question whether such structural alignments reflect deeper backstage discussions.
Supporter Frustration and the Decade-Mark Reflection
Reflecting on the ten-year milestone, historian Gilles Castagno noted in an interview with La Marseillaise that while early structural coherence carried the team to the 2018 Europa League final, subsequent recruitment strategies and financial decisions left the club living above its means. Frédéric, a representative of the Vélodrome ultras, voiced deep dissatisfaction over the gap between initial promises and the reality of securing Champions League qualification only three times across the decade. With no concrete official announcement regarding a sale, the ownership situation remains centered on whether McCourt will install a reliable financial partner or clarify his long-term sporting ambitions as the season progresses.
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