France: Xavier Giocanti could succeed Vincent Labrune as president of Marseille (club denies report)

The French businessman Xavier Giocanti could replace, "in the coming days or weeks", Vincent Labrune as president of Olympique de Marseille (Ligue 1), announced the French sports daily L'Equipe, on 19/04/2016. Co-founder (in 2005) and chairman of property group Résiliance, specialising in achieving tertiary projects in the region of the Métropole d’Aix Marseille, Xavier Giocanti is the companion of Christine Lagarde, the current Director of the IMF (International Monetary Fund).

"The prospect of an interim president (such as Xavier Giocanti) of Olympique de Marseille for the end of season (2015-16), or more likely, after the end of the year, remains valid. Giocanti, who officially denies any interest in the position of president, is considering an important role at OM. In recent weeks, he has gathered around him a team capable of acting quickly, to manage the recruitment and departure of many players, but also compose a technical staff," reported the French sports daily.

Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, the majority shareholder of Olympique de Marseille since the death of her husband Robert…