Tag Archives: Arsenal

Who’s who in Arsenal’s back room shake up

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The appointment of Raul Sanllehi as Head of Football relations is the 8th new appointment in the back room staff at Arsenal since February 2016.

Ben Wrigglesworth – First Team Video Scout

Much-admired scout Ben Wrigglesworth begun work at Arsenal in February 2016, after departing Leicester City.

Wrigglesworth, who worked as head of technical scouting at the King Power Stadium, moved to London where he serves as a first-team video scout.

Luke Hobbs – Interim Academy Manager

Following Andries Jonker’s appointment as Head Coach at VFL Wolfsburg, arsenal promoted Luke Hobbs from within to Interim Academy Manager

Luke had been in charge of Football Operations at our Hale End Academy and had been with the club since July 2013.

Jens Lehmann – First Team Coach

Former invincible, Lehmann, rejoined Arsenal as a first team coach in July 2017.

Huss Fahmy – Contracts, Legal & Commercial Expert

Legal eagle Huss Fahmy had been a key part of Team Sky’s operation since around its inception in 2010 after moving to Sky the previous year from the City where he worked for the multi-national law firm Herbert Smith.

He joined Arsenal in June 2017, strengthening our legal team.

Darren Burgess – Director of High Performance

A month after Fahmy joined, Liverpool’s former Head of Fitness and Conditioning joined the backroom staff.

Burgess joined the club from American Rules Football side Port Adelaide, to take up the new role of  Director of High Performance.

Sven Mislintat – Head of Recruitment

Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of Sven Mislintat as their new head of recruitment, effective from December.

The Gunners are set to bid farewell to current head scout Steve Rowley at the end of the month and have acted quickly to bring in Mislintat, who joined from German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Rueda de prensa del presidente del FC Barcelona, Jose Maria Bartomeu

Raul Sanllehi – Head of Football Relations

Former Barcelona Director of Football Raul Sanllehi is set to join Arsenal at the end of February 2018. He will take the newly created role of Head of Football Relations.

Per Mertesacker – Academy Manager

From the beginning of the 2018/19 season, Per Mertesacker will take over as Academy Manager.

Keenos

Who is Raul Sanllehi?

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Arsenal have just made their biggest appointment since Arsene Wenger was made manager back in 1996.

The appointment of new Head of Football Relations Raul Sanllehi indicates a big move away from the dictator-esque leadership that Wenger has enjoyed for 21 years at the club.

Throughout his time at Arsenal, Wenger has overseen all aspects of the footballing side of Arsenal. From first team to academy, he has lead the coaching, fitness and tactics – or employed and managed individuals who he delegates the work to.

He has also been the king maker off the training ground. It is Wenger who manages the coaching set up, decides a players value, and ultimately whether Arsenal are to sign an individual or not.

Anything to do with the footballing side of the business, including the rebuilding and remoulding of training grounds, had to have Arsene Wenger’s approval.

The appointment of Raul Sanllehi as Head of Football Relations basically gives Wenger a boss. A man between himself and the board. No longer will every decision be Arsene Wenger’s. Raul Sanllehi’s job will be to oversee the footballing side of the club, Ivan Gazidis will over see the commercial side.

This will mean a lesser work load for Wenger, allowing him to concentrate on what is important. First team performances.

So who is Raul Sanllehi?

Rueda de prensa del presidente del FC Barcelona, Jose Maria Bartomeu

Sanillehi is a 48 year old from Tàrrega, a municipality in Catalonia, Spain.

He joined Barcelona in 2007, undertaking the role of Director of Relations with Sport Bodies. 16 months into the job he was promoted to Director or Football, keeping his job under the presidencies of Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu.

His job at Barcelona had been to complete transfer deals, and he was especially involved in the controversial signing of Neymar from Santos in 2013.

Alongside the Neymar deal, he is also credited with helping to bring in Luis Suarez and Alexis Sanchez to the Nou Camp.

Before joining Barcelona Sanllehi had worked for Nike for 11 years.

A graduate of the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Sanillehi obtained a BA in Economics, Marketing and Finance from Guildford College, North Carolina.

Sanllehi reportedly has a close relationship with Gunners CEO Ivan Gazidis and is renowned for his strength in transfer negotiations.

Both Arsenal and Manchester City are said to have been keen on luring Sanllehi to the Premier League.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will reportedly work closely with Raul Sanllehi, alongside their incoming chief scot Sven Mislintat, who has just been signed from Borussia Dortmund.

Keenos

 

Arsenal’s Class is International

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I am a “soccer” coach in New York.

Last summer we held our pre-season camp at the Golden Goal Residence in Upstate New York. Golden Goal host many teams and organisations, including the Arsenal Academy Camp (Arsenal School USA).

Arsenal’s camp was being held while I was there with my team. They had top class coaches replicating the coaching from Hale End and London Colney.

I witnessed some session and they were impressive. Kids who had registered for that camp had the new kit before it had been officially released.

The same week, there was also an organisation who had bought underprivileged kids from the Bronx to Golden Goal so that they could experience a residential camp experience outside of the City.

Those kids were so happy to be there, living the dream.

When the organisation overseeing these kids learnt that Arsenal were present, they humbly asked Arsenal Academy if their coaches could give these youngsters one afternoon session – can you imagine those underprivileged kids going home and telling their parents that they were coached for one session by The Arsenal?

The Arsenal coaches not only agreed to undertake a single session with these kids, but took it too a higher and unexpected level.

Arsenal added all the underprivileged kids to their own residential camp for free!!!!

Those kids got top coaching from Arsenal for a week, and went back to their neighbourhood with the new kit.

Some of these kids were crying and most of them could not believe it! Some thought it was a prank!

They would have left with memories that will last a lifetime, and for some it would have been a life changing experience.

It was a very moving moment watching these kids, who have nothing, realise that they were going to be coached by Arsenal Football Club. It made me proud of the club I support!

Proud to be a Gooner!!

Keenos