The president of Olympique de Marseille Pablo Longoria has worked with Mateu Alemany at Valencia and has credited him for revamping Barcelona’s fortunes as sporting director.
While Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been in the limelight following his second stint as the head of the club, it’s his sporting director Alemany who has quietly worked behind the scenes to ensure that the Catalans restore their faded.
One of the more impressive sides of his work has been how he hasn’t been afraid to take harsh decisions. A year ago, nobody could’ve imagined a Barcelona without Lionel Messi.
And yet, not only was the decision necessary to secure the financial sustainability of the club, but they are also thriving on the pitch without him. Antoine Griezmann was also loaned back to Atletico de Madrid in the same summer to lighten the wage bill.
Alemany also helped the club tie down world-class prodigies in Ansu Fati and Pedri to longer contracts, as is also the case with defender Ronald Araujo. The winter acquisitions of Ferran Torres, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Adama Traore, and Dani Alves were also shrewd, and they are playing a fundamental role this season.
Alemany’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed in the world of football. President of Marseille Pablo Longoria hailed his work in an exclusive chat with Agencia EFE.
“Barça is in the best possible hands. Mateu is a genius, he is the most intelligent person in European football. We are seeing the latest results from Barcelona and I am very happy for him because he deserves it,”
Longoria was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo.
Longoria and Alemany have worked alongside each other in the past. They were with Valencia between 2017 and 2019. During this period, they helped the team win the Copa Del Rey – their first trophy since 2008.
Also read 👉 Europa League: Ten-man Eintracht, West Ham hold Barcelona, Lyon; Rangers beaten at Braga
