Marseille is a unique city, completely different than the rest of France. It has its own culture, its own way of life and practically its own rules. Every day during my internship experience, I couldn’t help but fall more and more in love with the city and the club. Interning at a club as iconic as Olympique de Marseille (OM) was an opportunity I could only have dreamed of just a couple of months ago. Upon arriving in the city, I quickly realized that everything revolves around l’OM, but never could have predicted what I would experience over the next few months.
During my internship, I worked at OM’s training centre known as the “Commanderie” in the Strategy and Business Development team under the guidance of Pedro Iriondo and Yacine Alaoui. Working alongside Laura Cuche, Antoine Precheur, and FBA Alumnus Alex Poux, my responsibilities primarily involved researching and benchmarking topics as requested by the club’s president, Pablo Longoria, Pedro and Yacine. Without divulging too much information, I can say that I enjoyed the diversity of projects I worked on; for instance, some were heavily centred on the sporting aspect, involving player transfers and academy production in Ligue 1, while others focused on enhancing the internal processes of the club. I was surprised to see the amount of collaboration taking place between various departments such as legal, marketing, social media, and finance. Overall, I gained valuable insights into the day-to-day operations and behind-the-scenes workings of such a massive club.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of my internship experience in Marseille was the friendships I made along the way. At the office, I worked in a large open space with many other departments. From the day I arrived, I was welcomed by the group. Within less than a week, I even became roommates with Antoine. This group of 15 people quickly became my close friends, and we would typically spend five nights a week together. Our main activities were 7 vs 7 football at the training ground, playing pool, going on hikes, dining out, and, of course, attending OM’s matches at the Stade Vélodrome – an experience every football lover must have in their lifetime.
On my final night in Marseille, everyone came together and threw me a going-away party at a nice little restaurant near the Old Port. The generosity of this group of people I had met less than 4 months ago was overwhelming. I was even given gifts, one of the most special being a signed jersey from OM legend Dimitri Payet. It was in that moment that the realization hit me – I had forged friendships that would last a lifetime, and I couldn’t wait for the day when I could return to Marseille and reunite with this incredible group of people.
I am extremely grateful to The FBA for making this opportunity a reality, as well as everyone at Olympique de Marseille who made my experience so memorable.
Allez l’OM!
Quinn Honeyman is part of the 12th Edition of The FBA’s Professional Master in Football Business.
