Barcelona is preparing more changes on the sporting front, with or without Jordi Cruyff

More than replacing Mateu Alemany, as FC Barcelona’s director of football, Barça is considering “some changes” in the sports structure, although it is awaiting the renewal of Jordi Cruyff, whose contract expires on June 30.

From the Barcelona club, as EFE has learned, they are examining the market to find a candidate who could help Jordi Cruyff in his new task, although according to various consulted sources, “in no case” the possibility of Antonio Cordón being selected is being considered. The former sporting director of Betis, previously at Villarreal, teamed up with Jordi Cruyff in China’s Chongqing, where the man from Extremadura ran the sporting department and Jordi was the coach between August 2018 and December 2019. Later, both teamed up in the Ecuadorian team.

In the case of Jordi Cruyff, his contract expires at the end of the season. He and Alemany were a good team to work with. The Majorcan ran the operations; Jordi was an ideal complement as an ideologue, but with the departure of Alemany, a new scenario opens up.

And that is that Jordi has a month to assess the situation, whether he is leading the area with the support of the new executive or if, as is the case now, he is tasked with managing the sports area in the background. Another possibility is that he also leaves the club, a scenario that would be surprising to say the least given his personal relationship with president Joan Laporta, and that would also mean leaving coach Xavi Hernández alone, who has always been given unconditional support.

Germany, destination Birmingham

Alemany was under contract with FC Barcelona for one more season, until June 30, 2024, but decided to accept an “overwhelming offer”, all told to come from Aston Villa, coached by Unai Emery. Economic issues, more than sporting differences, would lead Alemany to accept a proposal from the Birmingham team, who were contacted by a Mallorcan lawyer in January 2022 to negotiate the transfer of Philippe Coutinho.

Aston Villa is owned by the North American fund V Sports, and is shared by the Egyptian Nassef Sawiris and the American Wes Edens. The first is the second largest wealth in Africa ($8.9 billion), Edens is, among other things, the co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. Since taking ownership of the villains, V Sports have invested over €400 million in signings. Now with Alemany, who will finish his commitments with Barcelona at the end of the summer market, one of the wizards of the ‘mercat’ is guaranteed.

Although he has promised to close with Barca next summer, it is difficult to think that Alemany can do this if he is already, de facto, the new sporting director of Aston Villa. And that is that the possibility of negotiating transfers on behalf of two clubs which, moreover, are competitors on the market, could lead to an obvious conflict of interest.

First Giró, then Reverter, now Alemany

Two of Joan Laporta’s Barcelona strongmen during the election campaign — Jaume Giró and Mateu Alemany — left the Barça club for different reasons. Ferran Reverter, the entity’s general manager, also left the position seven months after joining.

Giró, the person in charge of the economic area during the election campaign, did not even join the board of directors. He cited “personal reasons.” The background is that Giró aspired to become Laporta’s right-hand man, number two in the board; but the president of Barca had already decided in advance that he would rely on Rafa Yuste, which Giró did not like. Eduard Romeu eventually became vice president for the economy.

Ferran Reverter arrived in Barcelona in mid-2021, from MediaMarkt, where in 2018 he held the position of executive director of the German company. Officially he left the position due to “personal and family reasons”, unofficially it was said that his model of the club did not match the one Joan Laporta had in mind. Alemany is the third strong man in the project to leave Barca’s boat.