Top 8 best football sporting directors today
In the world of football, the role of sporting director is extremely important and influences the development and success of a club. These brilliant people are not only talented managers, but also strategic executives, capable of creating successful deals and developing strong teams. Among the top sports directors, there are names that have left a deep mark on the history of football and are considered the best managers in the field. Today let’s Premiumsoccertips.net learn about the top 8 best football sporting directors!
Top 8 best football sporting directors
1. Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Txiki Begiristain played a very good role from Barcelona to Manchester City. Begiristain was a key member of Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team in the past at Camp Nou, so he has a deep understanding of the philosophy of all-out attack. He also had a hand in bringing Pep Guardiola to Barca in 2008, and also greatly influenced City’s decision to appoint Pep.
At Barca, Begiristain brought in iconic players such as Dani Alves, Eric Abidal and Gerard Pique. He did the same at City, expanding his scouting to include young talent at home and abroad. However, at City, he was also criticised for signings such as Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony.
2. Marcel Brands (PSV)
While at RKC Waalwijk, he brought in Martin Jol and helped the team climb to the top half of the Eredivisie table. While at AZ, he brought in promising youngsters such as Sergio Romero, Ragnar Klavan and Moussa Dembele and won the championship together in 2009. However, in his first year at PSV, he was unable to help the club topple Ajax.
But after appointing Art Lengeler to head the club’s training academy and adjusting the club’s transfer policy, Brands along with Phillip Cocu led PSV to their first league title in 7 seasons in 2015. He then invested wisely from the proceeds of the sale of Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay to keep the championship for the team.
3. Giuseppe Marotta (Juventus)
Juventus’ success over the years cannot ignore Marotta’s role. After working effectively at Atalanta and Sampdoria, Marotta was brought in by Juventus in 2010 to revive the team after the Calciopoli affair. The result after that was exceptional, Juventus completely dominated Serie A for the last 5 years and headed for a record for the 6th consecutive time.
Much of this is thanks to Marotta’s extremely skilled and daring negotiating skills, such as the phone call to appoint Antonio Conte in 2011 and replace him with Max Allegri 3 years later. Marotta’s transfer policy has also impressed, often bringing in quality players at low prices. Andrea Pirlo, Sami Khedira and Paul Pogba have made a huge impact professionally and economically. Next to it are names like Carlos Tevez, Patrice Evra, Andrea Barzagli and Arturo Vidal.
4. Monchi (Seville)
Sevilla’s most brilliant period can be called the “Monchi Era”, his impact after working as sporting director since 2000 has been immense. From a time of financial instability after relegation, he has helped the team revive to the present, winning 2 consecutive Europa League titles, one European Super Cup in the past few years.
Under his supervision, a host of young talents were given the opportunity to thrive before leaving at a high price such as Sergio Ramos, Alberto Moreno, Jesus Navas and Jose Antonio Reyes. In addition to homegrown products, Monchi also helped the club buy and sell very effectively with signings such as Ever Banega, Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute. The club also profited greatly from the sale of stars Dani Alves, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Ivan Rakitic, Carlos Bacca.
5. Ralf Rangnick (RB Leipzig)
A player without much fame, Rangnick rose to prominence as Schalke manager having led the team to 2nd place in the Bundesliga and Champions League semi-finals in the past. In 2012, he retired from coaching to become sporting director for Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig. Here, he established more powerful strategies than just hanging around in tactical work.
He has excelled in scouting and youth training roles, in addition to being wise in appointing managers, including Roger Schmidt at Salzburg and more recently Ralph Hasenhuttl at Leipzig. In terms of scouting, he made it clear that the club only cares about ages 17 to 23. Some notable names he has recruited in the past include Sadio Mane, Joshua Kimmich and Naby Keita.
6. Les Reed (Southampton)
The move to sack manager Nigel Adkins and replace him with Mauricio Pochettino is seen as a margin in Les Reed’s journey at Southampton. Since joining the Saints as sporting director in 2010, one of his main priorities has been to make a clear plan with the managers. He told the Telegraph last year: “We try to find talent across Europe but never do that with the coach and coaching staff”.
Therefore, managers are always put all their trust when leading Southampton, this has been verified by Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and currently Claude Puel. The identity of the team is also maintained thanks to the youth academy that has always found talent to replace stars who have left at a very high price in the past few years.
7. Michael Zorc (Borussia Dortmund)
Michael Zorc was previously a mature player and a prominent Dortmund striker before moving into the role of Sporting Director. He played a key role in the team’s restructuring after they struggled financially in the early 2000s. Dortmund’s strategy is focused on finding potential young players and developing them into excellent players.
Zorc has always advocated smart shopping, finding players with potential but not being noticed, such as Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan, Robert Lewandowski, and helping them become top stars. Recent young talents such as Emre Mor, Ousmane Dembele and Mikel Merino are also expected to follow the successes of these seniors.
8. Michael Edwards (Liverpool)
Michael Edwards is a very familiar name and has had a deep connection with Liverpool throughout the years. Prior to taking on the role of the club’s Sporting Director from 2016 to 2022, he spent a long time at Anfield, gaining considerable experience and achievements.
Michael Edwards association with Liverpool has been an integral part of his career. During his time as sporting director, Liverpool experienced periods of great success, especially under manager Jurgen Klopp. He is considered one of the brains behind the team’s ascension, making an important contribution to bringing Liverpool back to the top of European football.
Michael Edwards role is not only to bring in top talent but also to build a strong squad. Deals such as the signing of Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton or Alisson Becker from AS Roma have been testament to his talent in the transfer field. Edwards has also made significant contributions to developing young talents such as Trent Alexander-Arnold or Harvey Elliott, helping Liverpool remain competitive at the top of world football.
Conclude
The above best football sporting directors are not only excellent scouting abilities but also strategic visionaries who shape and drive the success of clubs. Ingenuity in transfers, the ability to develop young talent, and the right leadership are important factors that help them stand out. With their admirable talent and achievements, these sporting directors have devoted no less to the development and prosperity of football clubs around the world.
Post Related
