{"id":7807,"date":"2022-12-19T14:59:20","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T14:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/?p=7807"},"modified":"2022-12-22T10:50:05","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T10:50:05","slug":"the-role-of-data-in-sporting-director-hires-5-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/the-role-of-data-in-sporting-director-hires-5-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"The Role of Data in Sporting Director Hires: 5 Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-2  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  thought-leadership-heading '><div class ='av-subheading av-subheading_above  ' style='font-size:15px;'><p>Thought Leadership<\/p>\n<\/div><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >The Role of Data in Sporting Director Hires: 5 Rules<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  av_inherit_color '  style='color:#80808a; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><h4><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 12<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">MIN READ<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-author '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3><strong>By Jordan Heath<\/strong><\/h3>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>December 20, 2022<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  style='height:5px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><p><div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-    avia-builder-el-9  el_before_av_hr  avia-builder-el-first  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-7808 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-7808 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-1030x690.jpg\" alt='' title='Jurgen Klopp Signs A Contract Extension at Liverpool (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT)' height=\"690\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-1030x690.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-2048x1372.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-1500x1005.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1193718299-705x472.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div  style='height:5px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_image  avia-builder-el-last '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-share '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3>Thought Leadership<\/h3>\n<p>Inspired by what you&#8217;re reading? Why not subscribe for regular insights delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap avia-button-left  avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock ' ><a href='https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/contact\/news-signup\/'  class='avia-button  avia-color-theme-color   avia-icon_select-no avia-size-small avia-position-left '   ><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Subscribe<\/span><\/a><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><hr \/>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='av-social-sharing-box  avia-builder-el-16  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last  '><div class='av-share-box'><h5 class='av-share-link-description av-no-toc '>Share this story<\/h5><ul class='av-share-box-list noLightbox'><li class='av-share-link av-social-link-facebook' ><a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" href='https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/the-role-of-data-in-sporting-director-hires-5-rules\/&#038;t=The%20Role%20of%20Data%20in%20Sporting%20Director%20Hires%3A%205%20Rules' aria-hidden='false' data-av_icon='\ue8f3' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' title='' data-avia-related-tooltip='Share on Facebook' rel=\"noopener\"><span class='avia_hidden_link_text'>Share on Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class='av-share-link av-social-link-twitter' ><a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Share on Twitter\" href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=The%20Role%20of%20Data%20in%20Sporting%20Director%20Hires%3A%205%20Rules&#038;url=https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/?p=7807' aria-hidden='false' data-av_icon='\ue8f1' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' title='' data-avia-related-tooltip='Share on Twitter' rel=\"noopener\"><span class='avia_hidden_link_text'>Share on Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class='av-share-link av-social-link-linkedin' ><a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn\" href='https:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;title=The%20Role%20of%20Data%20in%20Sporting%20Director%20Hires%3A%205%20Rules&#038;url=https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/the-role-of-data-in-sporting-director-hires-5-rules\/' aria-hidden='false' data-av_icon='\ue8fc' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' title='' data-avia-related-tooltip='Share on LinkedIn' rel=\"noopener\"><span class='avia_hidden_link_text'>Share on LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-17  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a topical debate, the value of a Sporting Director or equivalent is now accepted by most clubs. All 20 Premier League teams currently have a sporting or technical director in place, with similar trends across most major competitions. Whilst the role itself can vary, finding the right candidate is a critical lever for ensuring sustained success on and off the pitch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to executive searches, football clubs have one key advantage over most industries: <\/span><b><i>access to performance data at-scale<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Recent developments have dramatically expanded potential insights into prospective hires, far beyond the high-level or self-selected data available in other sectors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, scale creates complexity and optionality. This article shares 5 core rules for data-led searches, based on TFG\u2019s ongoing work supporting clubs around the world. We then apply these to an illustrative club to identify some of the top directors in today\u2019s game.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-19  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-20  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-21  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><b>Rule 1: Dedicate real resources to the search, reflecting potential impact<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Top sporting directors have proved their ability to be transformative. Resources allocated to the search should reflect this potential &#8211; whether this is money, search time or management capital.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Micheal Edwards (Liverpool) and Gabriele Zamagna (Atalanta) are notable examples. Despite being famous for on-pitch turnarounds, they\u2019ve delivered more than titles and Champions League places, with both clubs seeing <\/span><b>20-35x valuation growth <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">over their tenures. Meanwhile clubs with declining sporting performance can often see valuations stagnate or fall.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-23  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-24  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div   avia-builder-el-25  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='padding:10px 30px 10px 30px ; border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-    avia-builder-el-26  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-7812 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-7812 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33.png\" alt='' title='Chart 2-33' height=\"3894\" width=\"5614\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33.png 5614w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33-300x208.png 300w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33-1030x714.png 1030w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33-768x533.png 768w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33-1536x1065.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33-2048x1421.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33-1500x1040.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Chart-2-33-705x489.png 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 5614px) 100vw, 5614px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-27  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-28  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-29  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, we find overachieving clubs in Big 5 leagues have had sporting directors in post for almost 9 years on average, reflecting the strategic importance of getting this role right (overachieving clubs = those outperforming our predicted level given spend).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-31  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-32  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-33  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><b>Rule 2: Look beyond typical measures when evaluating on-pitch performance<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Football is more uncertain and contextual than most sports; single low-probability goals swing titles and points across competitions aren\u2019t equal. Smart clubs therefore go beyond metrics like \u201cNumber of promotions\u201d or \u201cPoints average\u201d, and might include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>Contextual performance factors<\/b> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Such as the strength of competition, margin of victories and underlying performance statistics (e.g. xG). For example, we use the TFG World Super League model to evaluate true club performance, a single metric evaluating all clubs on the common scale using a wide range of inputs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>Starting point <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Performance needs to be measured alongside a director\u2019s starting point. Based on our World Super League Model, Sandelli\u2019s Barcelona and Pardeza\u2019s Real Madrid were predictably the two tenures with the highest average performance (see chart below). However, Fabio Paratici\u2019s tenure at Juventus represents the biggest uplift in performance over the last 10 years. Paratici joined the club after 2 consecutive 7th place finishes, then went on to win 9 consecutive Serie A titles and challenge the best clubs in Europe. Torrecilla\u2019s Celta de Vigo and Petrachi\u2019s Torino were also impressive, with an overall improvement roughly equal to the difference between an average Europa and Champions League team.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Resources available<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; The best searches will also evaluate performance data alongside information on wage and transfer spend.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-35  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-36  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div   avia-builder-el-37  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='padding:10px 30px 10px 30px ; border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-    avia-builder-el-38  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-7809 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-7809 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1.png\" alt='' title='Updated charts-47 (1)' height=\"7136\" width=\"4433\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1.png 4433w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1-186x300.png 186w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1-640x1030.png 640w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1-768x1236.png 768w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1-954x1536.png 954w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1-1272x2048.png 1272w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1-932x1500.png 932w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-47-1-438x705.png 438w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4433px) 100vw, 4433px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-39  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-40  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-41  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><b>Rule 3: Quantify off-the-pitch impacts<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The modern sporting director\u2019s remit often extends beyond on-pitch results. Clubs with finite resources will benefit from individuals capable of generating value through the player trading market, which can then fund reinvestment. Indeed, new financial fair play regulations mean this is increasingly a concern, even for football\u2019s richest clubs (though the importance vs performance will inevitably vary).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clubs can evaluate this through a number of metrics. Though notable examples include net transfer income, squad value growth or the extent to which directors have negotiated fees beyond \u2018fair market value\u2019 (used as part of our worked example below).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-43  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-44  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-45  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><b>Rule 4: Tailor criteria to your own priorities<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most things are measurable, but priorities will naturally differ by club. For instance, Manchester United will care less for net revenue creation than Benfica. Some clubs have a vision for a specific style of play and want a sporting director who can drive a common approach. Others will prioritise academy success, and a proven ability to develop homegrown talent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequently, we tend to help clubs build bespoke indexes, or single metrics assessing every candidate\u2019s suitability against the team\u2019s own priorities (see worked example below).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-47  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-48  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-49  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><b>Rule 5: Combine with non-data elements<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data should augment traditional recruitment methods, not replace them. Its main advantages are objectivity and scale, allowing clubs to create better informed shortlists. However, no metric is ever complete. A pure-data approach can miss non-traditional candidates, and follow-up interviews can help a club better understand questions like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What influence did he\/she have over observed club success?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is their underlying approach and principles?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is there an unknown reason for poor scoring in a certain criteria or time period?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What working culture do they foster at their clubs?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-51  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-52  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-53  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><b>Worked example &#8211; Top 6 directors for \u2018Club X\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So who are football&#8217;s best performing sporting directors? In line with \u2018Rule 4\u2019, this depends heavily on a club\u2019s priorities. For this example, let\u2019s imagine a leading \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Club X\u2019 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has the following objectives (of equal importance).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-55  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-56  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div   avia-builder-el-57  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='padding:10px 30px 10px 30px ; border-radius:0px; '><p><div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-    avia-builder-el-58  el_before_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-first  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-7810 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-7810 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34.png\" alt='' title='Updated charts-34' height=\"3520\" width=\"4634\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34.png 4634w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34-300x228.png 300w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34-1030x782.png 1030w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34-768x583.png 768w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34-1536x1167.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34-2048x1556.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34-1500x1139.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-34-705x536.png 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4634px) 100vw, 4634px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>*You can find out more about price vs value\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/price-vs-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/price-vs-value\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-60  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-61  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-62  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using this criteria allows us to identify the following top candidates:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-64  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-65  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div   avia-builder-el-66  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='padding:10px 30px 10px 30px ; border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-    avia-builder-el-67  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-7811 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-7811 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48.png\" alt='' title='Updated charts-48' height=\"5865\" width=\"6462\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48.png 6462w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48-300x272.png 300w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48-1030x935.png 1030w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48-768x697.png 768w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48-1536x1394.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48-2048x1859.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48-1500x1361.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Updated-charts-48-705x640.png 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 6462px) 100vw, 6462px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-68  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-69  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-70  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock thought-leadership-main-content '  style='font-size:20px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gabriele Zamanga and Micheal Edwards are 2 predictable names, mentioned already. Zamanga earns the top spot in this ranking given his ability to drive Atalanta\u2019s remarkable performance improvement with relatively few resources, and create significant value in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other notable mentions go to Max Huiberts of AZ Alkmaar (2nd) and Luis Campos of Lille (3rd). Huiberts\u2019 Alkmaar have consistently challenged the best teams in Eredivisie and qualified for Europe, despite a small relative wage spend. One reason is their leading academy pipeline, with the club making &gt;$45m in 21\/22 from the sales of 3 academy players alone. Meanwhile, Campos\u2019 Lille narrowly escaped relegation in his first season but went on to win a Ligue 1 title in 20\/21. Off the pitch, he created significant funds for the club through an ability to buy and sell at value, generating &gt;\u20ac100m in net revenue from the sales of Pepe and Osimhen for example.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, \u2018Rule 5\u2019\u00a0 means these results only provide an indication of the best candidates. An extended analysis might consider the top 100 candidates and use additional filters to arrive at a shortlist for interviewing (e.g. likelihood of leaving current position, expected wage demands, language constraints).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>In conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data provides a powerful and underutilised tool within sporting director searches, but must be used smartly to deliver impact.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information on TFG\u2019s Performance Intelligence services please contact <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twentyfirstgroup.com\/contact\/get-in-touch\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Omar Chaudhuri<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-72  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_codeblock  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":7808,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,33],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.0 - 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