A seasoned business leader who has worked for various ministerial cabinets and the telecommunications group Orange – this is the profile of Stéphane Richard, appointed on Friday, April 10, 2026 as the new president of Olympique de Marseille. “All the boxes that mattered to me, Stéphane ticked them off, so it was a fairly easy decision for me,” announced Frank McCourt, the American businessman who acquired the Marseille club in 2016, during a press conference.
At 64 years old and president of Orange from 2011 to 2022, also serving as chief of staff for Jean-Louis Borloo and then Christine Lagarde at the Ministry of Economy, Stéphane Richard will take over from the Spanish Pablo Longoria, who was removed from the club’s presidency in February after five years in charge, being replaced by Alban Juster on an interim basis. He will assume his duties on July 2, after a transition period in which he will be involved.
Third president of the McCourt era, following Jacques-Henri Eyraud and Longoria, Stéphane Richard now becomes the third president of the McCourt era. While Longoria, a man of football and passionate about the transfer market, had to “learn” the role of president, OM gets back a more traditional business leader profile with a very impressive CV with Stéphane Richard. “I am not a football technician but I am sure that I will invest in all areas of the club’s life, including sports,” assured the new president, emphasizing that he attended secondary school in Marseille and remains attached to the city, where he owns a residence. “The entire city thinks and breathes for OM. I am fully aware of the institution represented by this club.”
He also highlighted that as president of the operator, he “put the Orange name on this magnificent stadium that is the Vélodrome.”
McCourt, who was also looking for “a business and affairs leader,” counts on him to ensure “that OM is profitable and sustainable”: “OM needs this leadership to bring back stability, calmness, and sustainability to the club,” added the club owner.
“I am a football lover, I have loved this sport since I was a child,” emphasized Stéphane Richard. “So, uniting these two loves, Marseille and football, around OM, is a dream job for me.” He has set the goal of “enrolling OM in the clubs that are meant to play in the Champions League every year,” by building “a successful team.”
“The club is facing multiple challenges, it is a bit at the crossroads,” said Mr. Richard, mentioning economic challenges, mainly due to broadcast rights, a subject he is quite familiar with as Orange was once a broadcaster of Ligue 1. The future president has stated his ambition to lead to a “period of seriousness, appeasement, and stability.”
Regarding the club’s shareholder structure, Mr. McCourt has mentioned being open to the arrival of a “strategic partner.” But he also reiterated that he “expects results on the field.”
Currently ranked 4th in the French championship, not directly qualified for the Champions League, OM is going through a chaotic season, marked by the departure of Longoria and, a few days later, Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi. Now coached by Habib Beye, the Marseille team hosts Metz, currently at the bottom of Ligue 1, this Friday night at the Vélodrome Stadium.
