Many clubs in England have moved to the more continental style of management structure with 15 out of 20 Premier League clubs now having a Director of Football... Even Bury had a Sporting Director before they were exploded from the Football League.
But what is a Director of Football and what role do they play at a football club?
Jobs4football looks at the role of a Director of Football and answers any questions you might have.
What is a director of football?
A director of football is an executive that is the link between the first team manager and the board, they are also responsible for the medium and long-term strategy for the club and offer stability even if the first team manager is sacked or resigns.
Exact duties can be different from club to club but in general they work with the board and the manager to identify transfer targets in line with the club philosophy, handling player contracts, complete transfers and ensure the club comply with financial fair play rules.
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In the main, the director of football should ensure the club is moving towards its long-term vision and not resorting to short-term measures.
What does this mean the Manager?
The first team manager still plays a key role in all transfers along with the director of football. At most clubs, it is believed that the manager or head coach as some clubs now call them to provide the director of football with a list of possible transfers for the director of football to buy.
However, this can course issues if they don't agree.
Manchester United, one of the five clubs who don't have a director of football had a number of problems over the last few years with transfer targets.
Sir Alex Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill seemed to have a good relationship and agreed on the clubs main transfer policy and worked well together. They paid big fees for young players like Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo as well as more established players like Rio Ferdinand.
When both Ferguson and Gill left United Edward Woodward took over and although they have more recently got back to the 'United Way' of signing young players in Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka before that ex-manager Jose Mourinho and Woodward clashed a number of times. (link)
Mourinho made it clear on a number of occasions that Woodward hadn't delivered the signings he wanted in his final summer as United boss when he asked for a world-class centre back. He later claimed that he never wanted £54 million signing Fred.
It's very clear that a head coach and director of football need to have the same vision for the club for the two positions to work.
What is a Director of Football Salary?
The salary for a director of football can change a lot from country to country with a top Premer League director of football earning upward of £2 million per season.
How to Become a Director of Football
To be a director of football you need a vast knowledge of football operations. Former players like Marc Overmars (Ajax) and Richard Hughes (Bournemouth) often make good directors of football because they understand the clubs philosophy.
If you have not been a professional footballer or have not coached at a high level it is likely that you will have needed to have experience working as a business leader in another industry, showing that you have the skills to manage, market, communicate and implement strategies.
You could also work your way up to the positions of director of football, climbing the ladder from an administration professional earning a reputation over time.
What Experience and Qualifications Will You Need to be a Director of Football?
It is desirable that you have played or coached at a high level with a high level of football knowledge. Other experiences needed is a good understanding of business, negotiating and know how the transfer market works both at home and abroad.
You will need a sports business degree but experience has more value than courses.
Top 10 Directors of Football in Europe
- Luís Campos (LOSC Lille, formerly AS Monaco)
- Michael Zorc (Borussia Dortmund)
- Michael Edwards (Liverpool)
- Monchi (Sevilla)
- Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City, formerly FC Barcelona)
- Fredi Bobic (Eintracht Frankfurt)
- Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
- Ralf Rangnick (RB Leipzig)
- Les Reed (ex-Southampton)
- Marc Overmars (Ajax).
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