Marseille face Ligue 2 relegation threat over financial crisis

Marseille are dealing with one of the most serious off-field threats in years as a deepening financial crisis puts their top-flight status at risk. According to journalist Romain Molina, the club could be relegated to Ligue 2 unless the debt is cleared before a strict deadline. The warning arrives not long after Lyon's own financial troubles, adding another worrying chapter for French football. Molina's report centres on the work of former Marseille president Pablo Longoria. He claims Longoria was involved in questionable financial deals that benefited people around him while damaging the club. One example is Geoffrey Kondogbia's transfer from Atlético Madrid in 2023. The fee reportedly jumped from €8m to €9m because agent Eugenio Botas, a close friend of Longoria, was written into the deal for a commission. Marseille owner Frank McCourt has launched an internal review of the club's finances. According to the report, he was the main force behind Longoria's exit and pushed for a sacking rather than a clean resignation. That decision ended up costing the club more than €1m in compensation to the former president. Molina says the payout could have been avoided if McCourt had not insisted on dismissal and had instead accepted Longoria's resignation. A confidentiality agreement was later signed by both sides. The real danger, though, is the scale of the debt. Longoria's tenure is said to have left Marseille with €150m in liabilities, and the club have exactly one season to cover that amount through transfers. If the money is not found by 30 June 2027, Marseille risk starting the 2027/28 campaign in Ligue 2.