Africa-Press. Moroccan coach Walid Regragui has emerged as a candidate to take over at France’s Olympique de Marseille following the dismissal of Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi.
French media reports said Regragui’s name has been put to the southern club’s management as one of the options to lead the team for the remainder of the 2025–2026 season.
While there is internal backing for the Moroccan coach’s résumé, the reports stressed that there have been no official or concrete talks so far, and that the matter currently remains a “proposal” under consideration.
Alongside Regragui, the shortlist to succeed De Zerbi includes former Marseille player Habib Beye, who was recently dismissed from French club Rennes.
The name of current Al-Ittihad coach, Portuguese manager Sergio Conceição, is also being mentioned as a preferred option for the club’s leadership, though a €4.5 million release clause (about $4.9 million) would make any move difficult.
Other names cited in the speculation include Nigeria coach Eric Chelle and former Marseille coach Igor Tudor, who led the club in the 2022–2023 season.
Obstacles to signing Regragui
Marseille’s hopes of appointing Regragui face two main hurdles: his existing contract with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and his desire to lead the “Atlas Lions” at the 2026 World Cup.
This interest comes as Regragui’s future with Morocco has been the subject of rumors, despite a recent official denial that he is leaving his post.
Earlier, RMC Sport claimed Regragui was determined to step down about three weeks after the Atlas Lions lost the Africa Cup of Nations final on home soil to Senegal.
However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation denied the reports, just months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, in which Morocco will take part.
