The director of football or the sporting director’s role is highly essential in association football. A sporting director links the head coach and the board, facilitates transfers, and helps shape the club’s philosophy at all levels.
Many European clubs have sporting directors, and some of these directors have been hugely successful in their role, making great signings and also positively impacting the club during their tenure.
This article will outline some of the best sporting directors in Europe at the moment and what makes them deserving of the label.
Best Sporting Directors in Europe at the Moment and What Makes Them Stand Out
1. Monchi
Sevilla appointed Monchi as a sporting director in 2000. He was a goalkeeper at the club during his playing days before retiring in 1999. Monchi became so good at his job that his strides led Sevilla to become a European powerhouse, with the club winning 11 trophies under his watchful eyes, including 6 UEFA Europa League titles.
Sevilla tasked him with developing their youth system while establishing a vast transfer policy in European and global football. He undertook the task with near perfection as he would be responsible for discovering talents like Jesus Navas, Sergio Ramos, Alberto Moreno, and numerous others.
Monchi also oversaw profitable transfer decisions involving players like Dani Alves, Ivan Rakitic, Seydou Keita, and many others, thanks to his network of 700 scouts he established globally. It’s fair to refer to Monchi as the man who single-handedly spearheaded Sevilla’s golden generation, qualifying him as one of the best sporting directors in Europe.
2. Michael Zorc
Aside from being a Bundesliga powerhouse, Borussia Dortmund is famous for its magnificent transfer strategies. Of course, this is mainly because of the prowess of their sporting director Michael Zorc who oversees major transfer decisions at the club.
Michael Zorc played at the club for 17 seasons, and he has the most appearances for Borussia Dortmund. He was appointed as sporting director after his retirement and went on to extend his legendary status at the club. Zorc was responsible for signing Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, Erling Halland, and Jadon Sancho.
He is a man who knew and developed European football from Dortmund’s perspective. His strategic decisions had a massive impact on the club’s philosophy and will uphold its status as a European stronghold for years to come. Zork will retire this year after spending 43 years at the club to make way for Sebastien Kehl.
3. Michael Edwards
Many people will associate Liverpool’s success over the last few years with Jurgen Klopp. However, there’s another unsung hero behind the scenes whose actions have directly impacted the club’s successes; Michael Edwards.
Micheal Edwards was the brain behind the signings of all of Liverpool’s recent superstars, including Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, Naby Keita, and Ibrahima Konate. He was also responsible for selling Philippe Coutinho for a club-record 142 million pounds to Barcelona in 2018.
Edwards was famous for selling unneeded players at the club for decent amounts, including the sales of Dominic Solanke, Rhian Brewster, and Jordan Ibe. While he wasn’t the one who necessarily scouted transfer targets, Liverpool always trusts him to get the deal done. Edwards left Liverpool F.C at the end of last season and has been on the radar of many top clubs, including Manchester United and Chelsea. Find Out More about which club the top bookmakers think Michael Edward will move to next.
4. Txiki Begiristain
Manchester City has made a series of good decisions following its takeover in 2008, and appointing Txiki Begiristain as sporting director is one of them. Bergiristain has always been a football man as he was an integral member of the legendary Johan Cruyff dream team. He also served as sporting director at Barcelona, where he formed a formidable relationship with Pep Guardiola.
The relationship would later pay off when Guardiola was appointed the coach of Manchester City in 2014. Bergiristain worked well with Guardiola and used their collective experience to develop an average Manchester City team into one of the most feared clubs in Europe. His tenure at Manchester City birthed 15 trophies for the club.
His transfer policy at Manchester City revolves around signing the best players that will blend immediately into the club’s style of play, with almost all of the current Manchester City players coming through him.
5. Guiseppe Marotta
Succeeding as a sporting director in Italian football is more complex than in most other leagues, as Italian clubs rarely splash substantial amounts on transfers. Marotta thrived using this budget spending system and was responsible for signing world-class players for near nothing, most notably Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo, and Claudio Marchisio.
His impact saw Juventus become a powerhouse in local and European football, winning the league seven consecutive times during his tenure and reaching the finals of the UEFA Champions league. Apart from making impacting transfer decisions, his bold appointments were also notable as he was the one who appointed Antonio Conte and Maximilian Allegri.
Marotta currently serves as Inter Milan’s CEO of sports, helping them to their first Serie A in eleven years. He was inducted into the Italian Football hall of fame in 2014 for his immense contributions to the country’s football growth.
Conclusion
The transfer market is becoming more competitive than ever, and clubs see the need for skillful negotiators to get the best deal. Many clubs are therefore looking for sporting directors who are up to the task. Considering the massive changes to football over the past decade, here are the industry’s best directors.
