The top 10 best football sporting directors today

In the world of football, the role of a sports director is extremely important and has a great influence on the success of a club or team. The best people in this field are not only excellent managers but also talented leaders, with vision and the ability to make the right strategic decisions. They not only know how to build a strong squad but also know how to negotiate, find potential talents, and make responsible strategic decisions. The best football sports directors are those who have contributed significantly to the success of top clubs and teams around the world. Join King soccer tips experts to look back at the list of 10 best football sporting directors today and discover their achievements and influence in the international football industry.

The top 10 best football sporting directors of all time

1. Guiseppe Marotta (Inter Milan)

Marotta, aged 63, witnessed one of the most incredible revivals in football history when Juventus rose from Serie B to become a dominant team in Serie A and a formidable force on the global stage.

He became famous for signing top players on free transfers such as Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Sami Khedira, Aaron Ramsey, and Adrien Rabiot, all of whom joined the Bianconeri on free transfers. Marotta has also signed Arturo Vidal, Andrea Barzagli, Carlos Tevez, Patrice Evra, and Dani Alves at very reasonable prices. He also invited Antonio Conte and then Massimiliano Allegri to lead the club during his tenure.

However, his greatest achievement was bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back from Real Madrid. Marotta was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2014, further solidifying his reputation as one of the best football sporting directors. After moving to Inter Milan in 2018, he was involved in improving the club’s fortunes, resulting in the Nerazzurri’s gradual return to prominence in the football world.

2. Michael Edwards (Liverpool)

Edwards is famous for his focus on detail and has made a key contribution in transforming Liverpool from an often struggling team into one of the world’s top teams.

He oversaw the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as coach and made contract deals with outstanding players such as Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah, Andrew Robertson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson, Fabinho, Diogo Jota, and many others. These were all bold decisions that brought great results to the team.

He has also proven to be a good seller by handling transfer deals intelligently. The sale of surplus players such as Jordan Ibe, Dominic Solanke, Mamadou Sakho, Christian Benteke, and Danny Ings has created huge profits for Liverpool, with the highlight being the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona. “Not only was he successful on the field, but Edwards also made a strong impression in the commercial field, as Liverpool earned millions of dollars from sponsorship and advertising contracts while building a strong brand image for the team and creating a significant global presence.

3. Michael Zorc (Borussia Dortmund)

Michael Zorc is truly one of the masters of football management. He shaped Borussia Dortmund into one of the top teams in both Germany and Europe, although the club faced stiff competition from Bayern Munich with its larger capital base.

Under Zorc’s leadership, Dortmund won two Bundesliga titles and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2013, proving their competitive strength. Zorc has also played a key role in developing and promoting the careers of many promising young players from Dortmund’s academy. Talents such as Mario Gotze, Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan, Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, and now Youssoufa Moukoko are all products of his professional development and talent.

Zorc’s ingenuity does not stop at discovering young talents but also turns them into superstars. This has been seen through the prominence of players such as Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho, and now Jude Bellingham. It is a clear testament to Zorc’s talent and undeniable contribution, further solidifying his reputation as one of the best football sporting directors in the world.

4. Monchi (Sevilla)

Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, also known by his nickname Monchi, is a powerful sports director in world football. During his first term, Monchi raised the standards of the club’s academy, which has produced outstanding talents such as Sergio Ramos, Jesús Navas, Alberto Moreno, and José Reyes.

He has also signed young players on the cheap and sold them for huge profits, with prime examples being Dani Alves, Ivan Rakitic, Jules Koundé, Diego Carlos, Federico Fazio, Carlos Bacca, and Julio Baptista. Monchi has also contributed to the career development of stars such as Ever Banega, Fabinho, and Frédéric Kanouté.

At AS Roma, he signed Julian Kluivert and Robin Olsen. Under Monchi, Sevilla have won several Europa League titles, with the latest being awarded last season.

5. Ralf Rangnick (Austria)

As a former coach, Rangnick identified and signed players or managers who suited the playing style of the clubs he was in charge of. He is extremely respected by the Red Bull Group, especially when working successfully at two clubs owned by this group, RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig.

In 2012, Rangnick became Red Bull’s director of football and played a key role in expanding the group’s presence in European football. He emphasized recruiting untested players, developing the youth system, utilizing a worldwide network of scouts, and championing the attacking philosophy across all Red Bull clubs.

Under his leadership, the club’s market value has skyrocketed from €120 million to €1.2 billion and they have enjoyed consistent domestic success, while also generating significant profits from player transfer. Rangnick also oversaw the appointment of Roger Schmidt at Salzburg and then Ralph Hassenhuttl at Leipzig. After Hasenhüttl left Leipzig, Rangnick appointed Julian Nagelsmann, who took Leipzig to a more successful level, further proving his expertise as one of the best football sporting directors.

6. Txixi Begiristain (Manchester City)

When it comes to sporting directors capable of shaping the club’s philosophy and style of play, Txixi Begiristain is simply the best. The Catalan player is famous for promoting and establishing the “tiki-taka” style of ball possession when he was a member of Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team” at Barcelona.

As sporting director, Begiristain implemented this style to perfection both at Barcelona and Manchester City. He oversaw the rise of Pep Guardiola’s famously successful team at Camp Nou.

He has stayed at Manchester City since 2012 and has seen the club win the Premier League thrice. He also played an important role in bringing Pep Guardiola to Manchester City.

7. Luis Campos (PSG)

Campos is an experienced veteran of football management, having worked with top clubs, notably Real Madrid, and with top coaches such as Jose Mourinho, in a variety of other roles. As Monaco’s sporting director, he changed the club’s fortunes as they won Ligue 1 and also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Under his guidance, Monaco produced outstanding young players such as Kylian Mbappé, Anthony Martial, Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar, and many others. Known as one of the best football sporting directors, Campos built a reputation for developing young talent and turning them into world-class players. After leaving his position at Monaco, Campos joined Lille, a club that progressed from mid-tier to the Champions League.

At Lille, he continued his strategy of bringing in cheap young players and selling them at high prices, notably Nicolas Pepe and Victor Osimhen. In 2022, Luis Campos joined PSG and was appointed as a Football Advisor. However, he essentially took on the role of sporting director and brought Hugo Ekitiké, Renato Sanches, and Nordi Mukiele to PSG.

8. Marcel Brands (PSV Eindhoven)

Brands began his career as sporting director of RKC Waalwijk in the Dutch Eredivisie. Under his leadership, the club went through a period of transformation from a relegation candidate to a stable mid-table side. He then left Waalwijk to join AZ and worked with Louis Van Gaal, helping the club win its second championship in its history.

After his success at AZ, Brands continued his career at PSV, where he appointed Philip Cocu as coach. Here, he and the team won three championships and especially contributed to the development of young talents such as Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay.

In 2018, Brands moved to Everton and quickly drove change at the club. He oversaw the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as coach and also brought in many quality players such as Richarlison, Alex Iwobi, Allan, James Rodríguez, and Abdoulaye Doucouré. However, on 5 December 2021, Brands left Everton to join PSV Eindhoven as sporting director.

9. Mateu Alemany Font (Barcelona)

During the 2022 summer transfer window, the name Mateu Alemany was constantly mentioned in the football fan community. This is no coincidence, as he was involved in one of the biggest transfer deals at Barcelona. Before joining Barcelona, Mateu Alemany had a remarkable tenure as director of football at Valencia. His arrival in Barcelona began when Joan Laporta became President of the club and appointed Alemany to the position of Director of Football.

Alemany has played a key role in building a new squad for Barcelona in the upcoming campaigns. His task is not only to decide whether to keep or let players go but also to negotiate and recruit new players.

With excellent negotiating skills, Mateu Alemany succeeded in bringing big names such as Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Jules Koundé to Barcelona. Moreover, he is described as an ‘assassin’ in the world of football, an expert in negotiations, and someone who knows how to make a difference—further solidifying his reputation as one of the best football sporting directors in the game.

10. Andre Berta (Athletico Madrid)

Berta is a former banker who rose from that position to become Athletico’s Sporting Director in 2017. One of his most notable achievements to date has been keeping Diego Simeone at the club, despite misunderstandings between the coach and the board, as well as overseeing the move to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, an extremely modern step forward for the club.

When Athletico lost several outstanding players in 2019, many feared that the team would go through a period of decline, but Berta quickly dispelled those fears by signing replacement stars. He signed capable replacements, contributing to a transition to a new era with minimal obstacles. In his role as Sporting Director, he oversaw the signing of players such as Jan Oblak, Antoine Griezmann, Joao Felix, Kieran Trippier, Renan Lodi, Felipe, Marcos Llorente, and Luis Suarez.

Conclusion

Looking back at the careers of the top 10 best football sporting directors, we see that they are not only talented managers but also dedicated, creative, and visionary leaders. From building strong squads, and creating winning strategies to developing youth systems and successfully managing the transfer market, they have made a vital contribution to the success of their clubs and brought football to a new level. Their mission is not only to win on the field but also to build and celebrate the passion, team spirit, and pride of fans around the world!

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