Marseille have officially appointed Habib Beye as their new head coach, marking his return to the club—this time on the sidelines—after a tumultuous period that saw the departure of Roberto De Zerbi earlier this month. The 48-year-old Frenchman has signed an 18-month contract with the Ligue 1 side, stepping into the role just nine days after being dismissed by Rennes.

A Familiar Face Returns

Beye is no stranger to the Stade Vlodrome. As a player, he made 128 appearances for Marseille between 2003 and 2007 after joining from Strasbourg. During his playing tenure, he played a key role in the club's 2005 Intertoto Cup victory and helped the team reach the UEFA Cup final in 2004, where they finished as runners-up.

His managerial career has seen moderate success, most recently at Rennes, where he managed 36 Ligue 1 matches, securing 16 wins, seven draws, and 13 losses—an average of 1.6 points per game since his appointment in January 2025. Despite this, Rennes parted ways with Beye due to inconsistent performances and growing pressure from fans.

Challenges Ahead

Marseille currently sit fourth in the Ligue 1 table, but recent results have been underwhelming, prompting the exit of De Zerbi. Beye's immediate challenge will be to re-energize a squad in need of motivation and direction as they aim to break into the top three and secure Champions League qualification.

In a statement released on the club's official website, director of football Medhi Benatia emphasized Beye's leadership qualities and clarity of vision:

"The choice of Habib Beye as OM's new coach is fully in line with our desire to recruit a coach with the leadership skills needed to take charge of a team that obviously needs to be re-motivated after a difficult period on the pitch. From our very first discussions, he struck me as extremely committed and totally focused on the future, with clear objectives for everyone: to quickly get back to winning ways, aim for a place on the Ligue 1 podium and try to win the Coupe de France to give the people of Marseille a trophy."

First Test: Brest

Beye will take charge of his first match as Marseille head coach this Friday when the team faces Brest in a crucial Ligue 1 fixture. With mounting expectations from fans and management alike, the new manager will look to instill discipline, confidence, and a winning mentality from day one.

The appointment signals Marseille's intent to stabilize the ship quickly while pursuing both domestic and European ambitions. Whether Beye can reignite the club’s competitive fire remains to be seen—but for now, the OM faithful have a familiar face at the helm.