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Modern football has modern problems...and modern roles to sort them out. The sporting director is one such new role that has become synonymous with the power dynamics of football in our day and age. For many big clubs, it is now a necessity to employ a top sporting director at the club.
So what does a sporting director do? Often, the newness of the role causes confusion among both fans and insiders about the exact duties of a sporting director. In reality, the job entails various facets like mediation between the board and the players and manager, and between the business and sports side of things, among other responsibilities.
5 best sporting directors in football:
Transfers and contracts are also the prerogative of a sporting director along with other aspects of modern football where the game intersects with the financial side. Sporting directors such as Txiki Begiristain at Manchester City have extensive knowledge of the game and also have the business acumen necessary for the job.
He features prominently in this list of the five best sporting directors in football.
#5 Luis Campos (Lille)
Luis Campos, currently at Lille, is a legend in his role. It speaks volumes of the mysterious ways that sporting directors function because Campos' name is not as well known as managers and players. Campos is a consummate spotter of talent and has found and nurtured players like Kylian Mbappe and Nicolas Pepe.
Campos achieved unprecedented success while working in the background as director at Monaco when the club won the Ligue 1 and reached the last four of the Champions League. He turned in profits as well as results on the pitch for the club before moving on to Lille where he has continued to work wonders in his own mysterious ways.
Reportedly, some of the elite European football clubs are seeking his services, but for now he is the head of scouting at Lille who are becoming a giant in French football.
#4 Ralph Rangnick (Leipzig)
Heavily linked with the manager's job at AC Milan before they turned around their fortunes last season, Ralph Rangnick, is another legend when it comes to spotting talent. Players like Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino owe their big breaks in football to him.
As a director with the RB franchise, Rangnick worked his magic on the field as well as in the board room. Focusing primarily on RB Leipzig, Ragnick worked with the management and the off-pitch staff to take the newest club in Germany from the last tier to the Bundesliga as well as the Champions League semi-final.
A former player and coach, Rangnick, marries financial profit and success on the pitch dexterously, which is a hallmark of a great director.
#3 Michael Edwards (Liverpool)
While Jurgen Klopp has spearheaded the Liverpool revolution on the field, Michael Edwards' astuteness in the transfer market and in scouting as well as his strategic acumen has helped Liverpool get success on the pitch and make profits.
Edwards, a great data analyst on players, has not only made great signings at value like Mohamed Salah but has also negotiated brilliant sales such as that of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
Liverpool's freshness on the pitch, their European and domestic success and astuteness in the transfer market owes a lot to Edwards apart from the German genius Jurgen Klopp.
#2 Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Txiki Begiristain arrived at Manchester City with great pedigree, having been part of the backroom when the Pep Guardiola revolution at Barcelona was taking place. Guardiola assembled one of the greatest football teams of all time that went on to win everything possible.
Begiristain, a former Barca player, then moved to City and helped them get Guardiola. Thus began a new revolution at City that saw the club change its style of football to devastating effect as they became the team to beat in England.
His transfer strategy has worked wonders too as City have got some of the best continental talents during this spell such as Kevin De Bruyne. He has also actively scouted talents from around England, with Raheem Sterling joining City during his time. The only thing missing in the City cupboard is a UEFA Champions League trophy right now.
#1 Michael Zorc (Borussia Dortmund)
Michael Zorc made the role of the sporting director what it is today with the unbelievable turnaround he catalysed at Borussia Dortmund after taking over the role at the club. Zorc, a club legend as a player, retired at 36 and then took charge as the sporting director of the club during a period of crisis.
During the Zorc era, Dortmund have won three Bundesliga titles, two German Cups and even reached the Champions League final in 2013 where they were pipped to the post by fierce rivals Bayern Munich.
It isn't only his footballing nous that the club has gained from. Zorc has had unbelievable success in the transfer market as well.
After acquiring young but exciting talents such as Matts Hummels, Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan, Dortmund turned them into superstars and then made a huge profit in the market through their sales. Thus, Dortmund could do well on the pitch as well as off it through Zorc's astute acquisitions.
The most recent example of Zorc's sagacity in the market has been the sale of Christian Pulisic to Chelsea, through which they got three top players including Thorgan Hazard.
As Dortmund continue to challenge the very best, Zorc's strategising from the shadows continues. The arrival of Jadon Sancho has been a revelation, and now Dortmund can ask for a huge price for one of the hottest prospects in club football.
Great coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel have worked with Zorc to take Dortmund to great heights. In fact, it was because Klopp arrived at Liverpool knowing this system that Edwards was hired at Merseyside, and Liverpool began their ascent.
