July 15 – Vincent Labrune, the controversial Olympique Marseille president, will part ways with the club before the start of the 2016/17 Ligue 1 season on August 14 as new money vies to take the reins at the under-performing French colossus.
In 2011 Labrune became president of the France’s most famous team, but his relationship with stakeholders and fans has always been stormy. Last April Marseille was put up for sale when the club’s biggest shareholder billionaire businesswoman Margarita Louis-Dreyfus announced she was selling her stake.
The transfer of Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi to London club Chelsea is possibly Labrune’s last big act for the club.
“I won’t be there for the resumption,” he told La Provence. “I think that if you stop, you really stop. And I really want to stop.”
Last season L’OM finished in a disappointing 13th place after Marcelo Bielsa unexpectedly left the club. Marseille flirted with relegation and went a 15 games without a home win, a record for the club.
At the end May, Marseille lost the French cup final against PSG. The club only won the 2012 Coupe de la Ligue under Labrune.
In recent months multiple investors have been linked to Marseille. Last winter the Recon Holding led by Chinese businessman Tony Jiantong Xia, who owns multiple companies in the infrastructure and transport industries, expressed interest in acquiring OM. That potential €80 million deal broke down before the Chinese received access to L’OM’s accounts. He then acquired Aston Villa for €75 million.
A consortium of investors led by an Italian-Swiss banker would be ready to invest between €250 million and €300 million in the club, according to La Provence. Iranian investors, with links to airline Iran Air, have also reportedly been keen on Marseille. They would invest up to €100 million in the club.
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