Marseille club appointed its former Senegalese captain, Habib Bey, as its new coach, nearly a week after his dismissal by its traditional rival, Rennes, according to what the fourth-placed team in the French Football League announced on Wednesday. Pe played for Marseille between 2003 and 2007, and participated remarkably alongside Didier Drogba in the team that lost the European Cup final to Valencia in 2004.
Published on: 02/19/2026 - 12:05
Senegalese Habib Bey became the new coach of his former team, Olympique Marseille, about a week after he was dismissed from Rennes.
With this new appointment, the 48-year-old former captain of Marseille succeeds the Italian Roberto De Zerbi, who left the ranks of the 1993 Champions League winner early last week, following a harsh defeat by his traditional rival, Paris Saint-Germain, 0-5.
This will lead the southern club, which occupies fourth place in League 1 with 40 points, five points behind third-placed Lyon, and 12 points behind leaders Lens with 12 rounds remaining in the season.
Bi will be officially presented on Thursday, the day before his first match as head of the coaching staff away to Brest.
Marseille, which exited the Champions League this season in the final round of the unified group stage last month, qualified for the quarter-finals of the French Cup.
"Close connection with Olympique Marseille Club"
The former Senegalese international left-back coached Rennes for a little more than a year, after supervising Red Star in the lower division, and working as a prominent sports analyst on French channels.
Bi, who also defended the Strasbourg shirt, ended his football career in England, where he played for Newcastle United and Aston Villa, in addition to lower-level Doncaster Rovers in 2012.
In a statement, the southern club said, “His close association with Olympique Marseille and his deep knowledge of the club’s atmosphere in Marseille will constitute a valuable addition to taking the club to a higher level,” without revealing the duration of B’s contract.
It is noteworthy that the announcement of Bey’s joining Marseille came hours after the completion of the deal to terminate his contract with Rennes, and the appointment of Frank Eze as his successor.
It is noteworthy that B played for Marseille between 2003 and 2007, and participated remarkably alongside Ivorian player Didier Drogba in the team that lost the European Cup final to Valencia in 2004.
France 24/AFP
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