Benatia Criticizes Murillo's Departure from OM: "There Was a Lot of Slacking"

Ahead of the Europa League clash between Besiktas defender Amir Murillo and his former club OM, ex-Olympien football director Medhi Benatia candidly discussed the Panamanian defender's mixed time in Marseille and his departure to Turkey in February following a falling out with Roberto De Zerbi.

Murillo himself had spoken out, stating he felt disrespected and that Roberto De Zerbi, OM's former coach, practically forced him out. Murillo believes De Zerbi's actions were personal, leading to his move to Besiktas shortly after De Zerbi's own departure from OM.

Medhi Benatia, who handled Murillo's transfer, offers a different perspective. Now a consultant for Canal+, the former football director described Murillo as a "very good lad, a genuinely good guy." However, Benatia claims that after Roberto De Zerbi advocated strongly for Murillo's contract extension, the player's performance declined significantly once the new contract was signed.

"I Recall Many Matches Where He Was at Fault for Goals"

Speaking on Canal+ before Murillo's reunion with OM, Benatia commented on the situation: "We were bothered by the situation. He had lost the confidence of some teammates. He had many very difficult performances last year. I recall many matches where he was at fault for goals; he was nonchalant. This happened after his contract extension."

Benatia suggests a possible complacency after the contract signing. He believes the relationship between Murillo, who was sidelined for his lack of commitment, and De Zerbi changed drastically. Benatia recalled De Zerbi pressuring management in front of the entire team to renew Murillo's contract, calling him his "son" and making him an important player for Olympique de Marseille. "After that, there was a lot of slacking. The coach decided to move on," Benatia stated. He concluded, "We wanted to resolve this issue by letting Murillo leave for a different project."