Barcelona are working tirelessly on several operations, be it the acquisition of new sponsors or the realization of contract renewals. And one man who has been at the heart of it all is a certain Mateu Alemany.
With several key players already linked, Ronald Araujo, Gavi and Ousmane Dembele are now next on the agenda.
Alemany’s work certainly does not go unnoticed, with Pablo Longoria – President of Olympique de Marseille – praising his work during an exclusive chat with Agencia EFE.
The former Valencia sporting director says Alemany is ‘the smartest person in European football’.
“Barca are in good hands. Mateu is a genius, the smartest person in European football. We see the latest results from Barcelona and I’m very happy for him because he deserves it“Longoria said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Longoria and Alemany share a brief history together, having previously worked at Valencia between 2017 and 2019. During this time, the team won their first trophy – Copa del Rey – in over a decade.
“Any club where Mateu can work as a leader, and with the freedom to do whatever he has in his head, he will be at the top. He is a management genius, knowing how to read the small details, taking important decisions. he added.
After a brief hiatus between 2019 and 2021, Alemany returned to football, this time joining Barcelona as a sporting director.
“Mateu is a person who has had all the prospects within a football club, including owning Mallorca. Above all, I emphasize the ability he has to adapt to each of the circumstances and in the direction and the natural tendency that football is taking. he concluded.
Meanwhile, Longoria also shared his thoughts on Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona to PSG last summer. He said he expected Messi to finish his career at Camp Nou.
“Every time a player who has participated throughout his career at the same club leaves, the moment of separation is news that surprises everyone.
“All football fans expected a Messi career with an end to Barcelona or a symbolic end to Newell for all that means and he never had the opportunity to develop playing football in Rosario.,” he said.
“With a player of the caliber of Messi two years ago, none of us would have written this end to history” he concluded.
