Director of Football - What is their value?

In European football clubs, head coaches are often referred to as managers. They manage the players and the coaching staff and determine the tactical aspects of the team. Of course, every owner would want the best managers possible for their team. But the owner does not necessarily have a manager’s knowledge, for example, to decide which player would be suitable for the team or which player deserves a contract extension. The manager is technically in charge of the players, but the owners are responsible for paying the money, so both parties have a say.

Similarly, the manager doesn’t necessarily have a vision of how the club will run in the next five years or so. Instead, a club needs someone who acts as a caretaker above the coaching staff and advisor to the board of directors to convey the ideas from both sides so everyone can be on the same page. The position, usually known as Director of Football, or Sporting Director, requires football knowledge and upper-management skills to run the club successfully. A fair comparison would be the General Manager position in most American sports, where having a competent GM is as crucial as having a good coach.

Txiki Begiristain - Man City’s Director of Football (Image: GettyImages)

Although the role and power of the Director of Football (DOF) are different depending on which club, the DOF is usually the bridge between the manager and the board. They handle footballing aspects behind the scenes that would help managers to focus on their main job - improving the team’s performance, and winning games. A good relationship between the manager and the DOF can help decisions be carried out quickly and precisely. A club’s transfer activities often represent this.

Arsenal’s performance has drastically improved over the past year due to none other than head coach Mikel Arteta and director Edu’s combined visions. From trusting Arteta during times he could’ve been easily sacked to agreeing on transfer targets such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko - so far, this Edu-Arteta partnership has proved to be vital for Arsenal, with an exceptional start to the season.

Manchester City’s dominance in English football is usually associated with manager Pep Guardiola’s talent and the financial backing from its Arab owners. However, getting Txiki Begiristain to be the DOF in 2012 was no less important. He has served in the same role in the dominant Barcelona side since 2003. The reunion with Pep Guardiola was just meant to be, as it turned Man City into one of the most successfully-ran clubs over the past years. Their net expenses are as high as ever, but they are getting the players that the managers want, and, most importantly, it is reflected by their domestic trophies.

Paolo Maldini - AC Milan’s director of football (Images: GettyImages)

The recent manager situation at Chelsea is why having a DOF is essential. Thomas Tuchel had been sacked, despite being backed by the board to spend around £300 Million for his targets this summer. Moreover, the communications between Todd Boehly’s board and now ex-manager Tuchel could’ve been better with the help of a DOF - either someone new appointed by Boehly, or ex-director Marina Granovskaia, who would’ve had more experience dealing with these types of situations. Tuchel also had a fallout with then-director Leonardo of PSG, which cost him the job, before going to Chelsea.

Interestingly, PSG decided to replace Leonardo before this season with Luis Campos. He suggested Christopher Galtier be the new manager, who immediately made an impact with critical results on the pitch. Moving back to Chelsea, they have managed to get Graham Potter, whose talent has been proven at Brighton. Boehly should consider getting a Director of football as soon as possible if a long-term project is what he seeks.