Roberto Olabe to take Director of Football role at Real Sociedad

Aspire Director of Football Roberto Olabe will depart the Qater-based Academy on 1 September 2016 the sports schooling agency announced today. Olabe will take over from Lorenzo Juarros García 'Loren' as Real Sociedad's new Director of Football. Olabe knows La Real well  - he spent four seasons at the club as a player and managed the youth team for two seasons and occupied the role of caretaker manager for three months when John Toshack left the club in 2002. Immediately after his interim spell, he was handed the Director of Football position at the club, working under Raynald Denoueix for two seasons and later, in the same role at Almería alongside Unai Emery.

Olabe has been a key member of the Academy´s senior management team during the past four years, playing a major role in the growth and success of Aspire in Qatar and around the world..

Director General Iván Bravo said: "I would like to sincerely thank Roberto for his exceptional work in the past four years during which major milestones have been reached by Aspire. It has been a joy to work with him. He has represented the Academy and Qatar football with great professionalism and dignity throughout his time here. I would have liked him to carry on with us into the distant future, but I understand his decision to pursue this new challenge in Spanish football. Roberto is one of the world’s best in football development, so it is not a surprise that he is highly sought after. He leaves us with a legacy of excellence in our approach to player development and towards our vision of producing teams and players capable of competing on the highest stage. I personally, and everyone at Aspire, wish him all the best in the future as he takes the helm at his home club."