Clubs whose Directors of Football are worth every penny
It is fair to say that there wasn’t what you would call widespread jubilation around Vale Park when it was announced in early February that David Flitcroft would be joining the club as Director of Football.
For too many fans it just seemed like another job for the boys, with the club’s coaching staff already being a who’s who of former pro players.
Of course, it is too early to judge whether the move to install an ex-player in such a role is a wise one, however it cannot hurt to take a look around the world of football to see where and how Directors of Football have considerably boosted the prospects of the club they work for.
Before we begin, though, let’s first have a look at exactly what a Director of Football does.
Creating Harmony Between Boardroom and Dressing Room
The role of a Director of Football varies from club to club, but their main overriding purpose is to ensure that there is harmony between the boardroom and the dressing room.
This generally means being in charge of the purse strings when a squad needs to be replenished after a gruelling festive period or a roster has to be trimmed in the off season in order to bring a bulging wage bill under control.
This means that operations like transfers, scouting, and the drawing up of contracts are just some of the day-to-day responsibilities someone like Flitcroft will be busying himself with. His role will be even more important in the current footballing climate, as playing and coaching staff are stretched to the limit with fixture congestion having a negative impact on many understrength squads around the EFL and Premier League.
Maintaining a good relationship and understanding with the manager Flitcroft has hired, Darrell Clarke, will also be of paramount importance to the club’s future success.
Flitcroft’s first move has been to bring in a new manager, Darrell Clarke
Ralph Rangnick
Directors of Football always come in handy when a club has untold levels of wealth put at its disposal, so they can ensure that managers do not start taking liberties with outrageous transfer fees.
While Vale do not really fit into that category, Reb Bull Leipzig certainly do, as the energy drink titans ploughed cash into the German club.
This Bundesliga project could have gone south quickly, but Director of Football Ralph Rangnick was on hand to ensure that did not happen.
His name now rings out around the elite levels of football, as he has taken this once unheralded club all the way to the last four of the Champions League.
His name is now regularly touted when managerial posts become vacant and AC Milan were said to be sniffing around for his services in 2019 before appointing Stefano Pioli instead.
Michael Edwards
If you thought all of Liverpool’s Premier League and Champions League success over the past few seasons has been solely down to Jürgen Klopp then you are seriously undervaluing the impact that Director of Football Michael Edwards has had on Merseyside.
It is thought that Edwards used his famed data analytics wizardry to prompt the Reds to sign Mo Salah and has also been instrumental in bringing new names like Diogo Jota to the club.
If Liverpool’s current struggles continue, Edwards may be called on even more to right the ship over the summer months.
Txiki Begiristain
Man City is arguably the richest club in the world and Pep Guardiola sidekick, Txiki Begiristain, is the man in charge of its purse strings.
The two men moulded the great Barcelona sides of the early 2000s before taking their services to the Etihad.
With another Premier League title seemingly on the horizon this season, it is hard to argue with the fact that Begiristain continues to have a positive impact on the football clubs he presides over.