The mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan said on Friday he was open to a "conciliation" with the OM who demanded a discount on the rent of the Vélodrome to compensate for losses linked to the Covid, but said he did not want to pay "instead From the owner.
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"The Olympique de Marseille, like all companies and all clubs, has been struck by the health situation" and the club "asks me (...) for a substantial reduction on its rent," said the city councilor during his wishes to the press.
Mr. Payan, however, did not specify the amount of the rebate claimed on a rent of approximately five million euros per year.
When he was in the opposition, Mr. Payan (PS) had denounced as insufficient the amount of rent paid by the club to the city then led by Jean-Claude Gaudin (LR).
According to a report from the Regional Chamber of Accounts of November 2020, this rent should be eight million euros per year.
"I do not want the Marseillais and the Marseillaises to take charge of the club's difficulties (...) and pay in place of Mr. Franck McCourt (American billionaire owner of the OM Editor's note)", explained Mr. Payan .
The elected official specified that he did not want to grant to "important structures" the assistance that he could and should bring to "small structures".
"However, there is no longer anyone in the stadium and we are not going to bankrupt everyone", he added, recalling that OM represented "a partner and a main actor" for the city.
"So, I want to make an effort", "I want to find a middle and intelligent way".
"We need a conciliation, that each take a step towards the other", he concluded.
Asked by AFP, the direction of the OM did not wish to speak on the subject and simply confirmed "a mediation in progress".