Official | Marseille appoint 29-year-old Riccardo Polacco as new Chief Scout

Olympique de Marseille have continued their restructuring behind the scenes with the appointment of Riccardo Polacco as the club’s new Chief Scout. The 29-year-old Italian arrives only weeks after the departure of Roberto Malfitano, who previously headed the club’s professional scouting department.

The move extends a recent trend at OM of reinforcing the recruitment sector with Italian expertise, following the arrival of Federico Balzaretti, who joined as Deputy Sporting Director earlier this autumn.

Polacco announced his arrival via LinkedIn, writing that he was “honoured and enthusiastic to begin [his] journey with Olympique de Marseille as Chief Scout”, adding that he was eager to contribute to what he called an “incredible club.”

Despite his age, Polacco already brings a notable breadth of experience. After early work in England with Southampton, he held roles at Vicenza (2021–23) and Triestina (2023–25) before taking over as Head of Scouting at AC Monza last July. His time in Lombardy proved short-lived, however, as he resigned from the post in recent weeks to accept Marseille’s offer.

GFFN | George Boxall