Organisational restructuring sees growth and improvement for the Football Management department
After previously having been in charge of two members of staff, the head of the department will now manage a team of nine
The demands of top-flight football have brought about big changes, and not just for the first-team squad, but also in terms of the structure of the Football Management department. In this regard, the department has gone from being made up of two members of staff in the 2014-2015 season to boasting nine employees ahead of the upcoming campaign.
This morning saw the head of the department, Fran Garagarza, unveil the details of the department's new organisational structure. "The fact that we're presenting this project is good news, we have to thank the board for their commitment to it and Amaia and José Mari for giving us the opportunity to put together a team that belongs in the top flight".
Garagarza went on to underline the importance of meeting the game's current demands: "We're talking about both the present and the future here. This represents a step forward for us. The greater the club's investment in the project, the lower the risk, nevertheless, there still remains a level of risk. Perhaps this season will be the one we are best prepared for, yet it could turn out to be our worst year, that's the risk we face".
The club's technical secretary, Mikel Martija, revealed the details of the new departmental structure:
The Football Management department includes a technical department, which in itself is split into two further departments, the Analysis department (Unai Ezkurra) and Scouting.
The Scouting department will operate across the following different countries and leagues:
- Fran Garagarza will head up the leagues covered throughout Spain
- Mikel Martija and Alberto González will follow the South American leagues (Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay)
- Tomas Amaral will be responsible for Portugal
- Mate Bilic will be in charge of the Balkans (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro)
- Lluis Codina will track national players playing abroad
The department that looks after young players signed by the club and then sent out on loan will be headed up by Josu Guinea, who will share monthly reports on the players' performances, as well as tracking their progress and maintaining contact with them.