Olympique de Marseille faces €100 million wage bill, aims to halve payroll

Olympique de Marseille’s annual wage bill has ballooned to around €100 million, driven by contracts granted by the previous management. High‑paid players such as Pierre‑Emile Hojbjerg, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Nayef Aguerd exemplify the inflated salaries.

Owner Frank McCourt, together with Stéphane Richard and Grégory Lorenzi, have set a target to cut the payroll by half. Recent departures – Mason Greenwood, Pierre‑Emerick Aubameyang and Hamed Junior Traoré – shave off about €15 million, but further sales or renegotiations of contracts for players like Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina, Quinten Timber and Geronimo Rulli are expected. The club’s finances are strained by reduced TV revenues and missing Champions League qualification, prompting a shift toward lower‑cost recruitment and a more disciplined wage structure.