Canal Sur: Real Madrid keen on poaching Sevilla's Monchi
According to the Andalusian broadcaster, Florentino Pérez is eager to add the in-demand sporting director to his board.LaLiga live draw
Florentino Pérez has set his sights on acquiring the services of Sevilla’s sporting director, Monchi, ahead of next season according to Andalusian broadcaster Canal Sur, who report that the Real Madrid president wants the man credited with much of Sevilla’s 21st century success to head up the same role at the Bernabéu. However, Real Madrid face considerable competition for the 48-year-old, primarily from Roma and the Premier League.
Last summer Monchi was on the verge of leaving the Sánchez Pizjuán and informed the board of his decision but the suits pointed to a 10-million-euro rescission clause in his contract and Monchi was forced to reconsider his position. However, it seems inevitable that he will jump ship this summer.
Pérez and sporting directors not natural bedfellows
Among the considerations Monchi is likely to weigh up is Pérez’s chequered history with sporting directors. In his two stints at the helm of Real Madrid the president has signed and sacked Arrigo Sacchi, Floro, Jorge Valdano and Miguel Pardeza.
Sacchi lasted just over a year, the Italian leaving after asking for Dirk Kuyt and being presented with Antonio Cassano instead. Floro succeeded him in tandem with the ill-fated reign of Juan Ramón López-Caro, a partnership that drove Real onto the rocks and ended in Pérez resigning from the presidency after defeat at Mallorca essentially ended any chance of a title challenge.
Mourinho banishes sporting director role
When Pérez returned to the club in 2009 he brought former player and manager Jorge Valdano with him but the Argentinean’s strained relationship with José Mourinho led Pérez to make a choice, and Mourinho won out. Pardeza’s tenure was centred mostly on developing the youth teams with decisions on signings made by Pérez and director general José Ángel Sánchez. When Mourinho left the Bernabéu in 2013, Pardeza did likewise and the position of sporting director was left vacant and since then Pérez has been solely in charge of the club’s transfer activity.
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