Anger is rising even further at the Stade Vélodrome. On Sunday evening, during the match against Paris FC, the Virage Sud (South Stand) displayed several banners directly targeting Frank McCourt. The main message contrasts a statement made by the American owner on April 10th with the financial and sporting situation of Olympique de Marseille five months later: "April 10, 2026: OM is one of the strongest clubs financially in Europe ! As of September 6, 2026: record deficit, squad demolition, and inability to recruit! McCourt: liar or incompetent?"
A banner was unfurled after about ten minutes of play, in an already disastrous evening for OM, who were ultimately beaten 3-2 at home by Paris FC . In the North Stand, an even shorter message also targeted the American: "McCourt sold out".
The South Turn brings up McCourt's statements from April 10th
The date on the banner wasn't chosen at random. On April 10th, Frank McCourt was at the Vélodrome to present Stéphane Richard as the new president of Olympique de Marseille (OM) . When questioned about the club's financial situation, the owner tried to be extremely reassuring. "Marseille is one of the strongest clubs financially in Europe ," he stated, also asserting that OM wasn't carrying significant debt. At the same time, however, he acknowledged the need to improve financial management and left the door open to the arrival of a strategic partner. Five months later, the fans decided to publicly throw his own words back at him.
104,8 million euros in losses, the record deficit of the McCourt era
The term "record deficit," used by the Virage Sud supporters' group, is based on a specific figure. The accounts for the 2024-2025 financial year show a net loss of €104,8 million for Olympique de Marseille. This is the largest deficit recorded by the club since its acquisition by Frank McCourt in 2016. This situation led the DNCG (National Directorate of Management Control) to intervene as the 2026-2027 season approached. After initially suspending its decision on June 23rd pending further information, the French football financial watchdog ultimately decided, three days later, to cap OM's wage bill and transfer fees . This represents a radical change just a few months after McCourt's reassuring statements.
Zero new signings and a long series of departures
The phrase "squad clearance" is a term coined by the fans, but it refers to a truly exceptional transfer window. Marseille finished the summer market without signing a single player , whether through a transfer, a loan, or by exercising an option to buy. At the time the transfer window closed, OM was one of only two clubs in Europe's top five leagues in this situation, along with Athletic Bilbao. On the other hand, Mason Greenwood, Facundo Medina, Quinten Timber, Geronimo Rulli, Hamed Junior Traoré, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Leonardo Balerdi, among others, left Marseille. Bilal Nadir also departed, while Benjamin Pavard, Arthur Vermeeren, and Ethan Nwaneri returned to their respective clubs after their loan spells.
The new sporting director Grégory Lorenzi has therefore gone through his first Marseille transfer window without being able to register a single arrival, while the sporting project had already been profoundly reworked after the departure of Pablo Longoria and that of Medhi Benatia.
The fans had already warned McCourt
This latest offensive from the stands is not an isolated incident. As early as March, after yet another sporting disappointment, long-time supporters in the South Stand warned that their anger would "boil over ." On August 21st, during the match against Strasbourg , the ultras once again directly challenged Frank McCourt: "Hundreds of millions of euros invested over the last 10 years, but for what results? No title, no team, no ambition… only disillusionment and humiliation."
On Sunday, the tone became even more personal. This time, the fans weren't content with simply assessing the American owner's sporting record. They were directly contrasting his spring statements with the reality of September and asking him the question: "McCourt: liar or incompetent?" And on the pitch, the evening did nothing to calm the Vélodrome: after the 2-0 defeat in Monaco , OM suffered their second loss in three Ligue 1 matches, this time at home against Paris FC . Marseille have only three points after three games.
