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Marseille director’s stunning U-turn after ‘clash’ with ex-Man United star Mason Greenwood

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Medhi Benatia has made a dramatic U-turn at Marseille amid reported tensions with former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood

Medhi Benatia has performed a dramatic about-turn and will stay at Marseille just days after announcing his departure. The French club’s sporting director, who has reportedly had disagreements with former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood, made his exit official following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Strasbourg, but club owner Frank McCourt has declared he will be remaining.

The 38-year-old revealed via Instagram that he would be leaving the club, having handed in his resignation before Roberto De Zerbi’s departure. However, McCourt, through a press release, has confirmed he is going nowhere and will take on expanded duties that will see him supervising “the entirety of sporting activities.”

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It has been a turbulent and somewhat catastrophic few weeks for Marseille with back-to-back 3-0 losses in the Champions League seeing them finish outside the top 32. They have also failed to win in three Ligue 1 matches which included a 5-0 thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain and surrendering a two-goal advantage against Strasbourg.

Supporter demonstrations have also occurred in the past week with De Zerbi’s departure and the absence of clear direction leading to fans choosing not to be in the Stade Velodrome for kick-off this past weekend. Benatia remaining could help restore some stability to the club particularly as they continue searching for a new head coach.

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However, the former Roma centre-back has been embroiled in a controversy involving Greenwood. Despite being hailed as the club’s standout player and receiving public support from De Zerbi, it has been reported in France that he had a falling out with Benatia.

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French publication L’Equipe has alleged that the pair were not on speaking terms, with Benatia criticising Greenwood’s conduct both on and off the pitch.

The report suggested that the club chief was irritated by the 24-year-old disregarding commercial obligations without concern for potential repercussions. Given these allegations, it seems unlikely that Greenwood will be pleased with Benatia retaining his position and gaining more influence within the club.

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One player likely to welcome the surprising reversal is Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri. It’s understood that Benatia played a crucial role in negotiating the loan deal alongside president Pablo Longori.

The exact reasons behind Benatia’s change of heart remain unclear, but it appears that drastic action would have been taken based on his departure statement.

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Part of his announcement said: “I sense a growing dissatisfaction, a breakdown in communication that I deeply regret. In Marseille, results are the only true measure.

“You know my frankness and transparency. Therefore, given the tensions surrounding the management, I have indeed submitted (not offered) my resignation, because in my opinion, the club will always come before individuals, and I do not want my presence to become an obstacle or a burden to the organisation and its development.

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“I leave with the feeling of having done my utmost professionally, but with the regret of not having been able to calm the atmosphere around the team, which, in my opinion, is more than capable of achieving the set objectives.”

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Dave Allen names ‘surprising’ heavyweight who ‘definitely’ hit him hardest: “Pure power”

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Fan-favourite heavyweight Dave Allen has sparred some of boxing’s best, but ‘The White Rhino’ admits that the man who hit him the hardest came as a ‘surprise’ to him.

This era of the heavyweight division has been governed for the most part by Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder, with Wilder hoping that he can return into heavyweight title contention with a victory over Derek Chisora on Saturday.

Of those names, Allen has sparred all apart from ‘The Bronze Bomber’, as well as a host of other top contenders in the division.

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However, on his YouTube channel, when it came to naming the man who hit him the hardest, Allen claimed that Chisora was the biggest puncher that he has faced, much to his surprise.

“I sparred Derek Chisora before the Lucas Browne fight, so probably seven years ago to the week actually. He weren’t in the best shape, I don’t think, and I was fit and I sparred really well.

“But, he hit really hard. I thought he was the powerful puncher that I have ever been in with, just for pure power. Luckily, I could see him coming, because they were wide shots and they were coming from pretty far back and I could brace for them and take a bit off of them.

“In terms of power, he was definitely the biggest puncher that I ever sparred with, really, really heavy-handed. It surprised me because I didn’t think he was a big puncher. I had been watching him and, technically, I thought he didn’t look like he would be a big puncher.”

Chisora will hope to find some of that devastating power when he faces Wilder at the O2 Arena tonight. The Brit says he will retire win, lose or draw, but his 50-fight campaign would be remembered much more favourably if he called time after stopping one of his generation’s biggest names.

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Allen returns to action on home soil in Doncaster against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, May 16.

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Taylor Fritz & girlfriend Morgan Riddle have broken up, tennis insider makes wild relationship claim

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Taylor Fritz and Morgan Riddle have been a tennis power couple for over half a decade. The two had begun dating in June 2020, but if latest reports are to be believed, they have parted ways after a nearly six-year long relationship.

Tennis insider Craig Shapiro, who hosts an eponymous podcast, on Sunday took to social media to share the news. As per the post on X, he said “reliable sources” had confirmed the break-up to him.

“Reliable sources telling me Fritz and Moorgs are no mas,” The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast wrote on X.

Fans reacting to the post took note of Riddle’s absence from some of the more recent matches featuring Fritz. The social media influencer was otherwise a regular feature in the player’s box, cheering her boyfriend on at major events throughout the tennis season.

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Even though, Riddle and Fritz began dating back in 2020, they did not go public with their relationship until a couple of years later. They have since been spotted at multiple events together even outside of tennis, featured on magazine covers and are frequently seen on each others’ social media handles.


Morgan Riddle credited boyfriend Taylor Fritz for getting her into fashion

Morgan Riddle supports Taylor Fritz from the stands at the 2026 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)Morgan Riddle supports Taylor Fritz from the stands at the 2026 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)
Morgan Riddle supports Taylor Fritz from the stands at the 2026 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)

Morgan Riddle had in an interview with Vogue magazine opened up about her relationship with Taylor Fritz. The social media influencer revealed that she was in fact a very person th first couple of years that she was with the Ameican tennis star.

Before taking on the role of a social media influencer, she worked for non-profit organizations. She even credited Fritz with pushing her into fashion, which has become a big part of her brand today.

“I was very private for the first two years of our relationship,” Morgan Riddle told Vogue in 2025. Work played a large role in her decision. “I was working in nonprofits for children in hospitals.”

“When I met him, I literally did not know one designer. He was like, ‘We’ve got to get you drip,’” she continued.

Riddle also spoke about some of the challenges that come with having a social media presence, especially for those clubbed under the tennis “groupie” label. She said she likes to keep a distance from negativity, has matured over the years and can handle it a lot better now.

“I have friends who have been on YouTube since they were 15 years old. It was kind of nice to have an introduction to it once I was mature and felt like I had a better head on my shoulders,” Morgan Riddle said.

“There’s still a lot of negativity around it, and I know that because I see misogynist comments—always from idiot men,” Morgan Riddle said. “I do think there’s more visibility on what girls are doing outside of just attending their partners’ matches.”

Fritz last played at the Sunshine Double on home soil. He has chosen to delay his start to the clay season, skipping the Monte-Carlo Masters. He will next feature at the clay event in Munich a fortnight later.

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