Arsenal appointed Andrea Berta as her new sports director.
Berta has become the main candidate to replace Edu after having resigned to take a stand in the club network led by the owner of Nottingham Forest Evangelos Marinakis. He started his new role with immediate effect.
The much appreciated 53 years left Atletico Madrid in January after a 12 -year spell and was recognized for having signed Rodri, Antoine Griezmann and Jan Oblak in business, as well as to sell players for substantial profits.
It can be present for Arsenal’s home match against Fulham on Tuesday evening.
“I am delighted to join Arsenal in what is an extremely exciting period for the club,” said Berta, via the official Arsenal website.
“ I looked with great interest the way Arsenal has evolved in recent years and I admired the hard work that has gone to restore the club as a force majeure in European football with passionate monitoring of the world.
“The club has great values and a rich story, and I can’t wait to play my role in training a successful future with a large team.
“I can’t wait to start my new role and I really can’t wait to live my first game at the Emirates Stadium with our supporters.”
Berta was one of the many options on the restricted list of Arsenal with Dan Ashworth, Roberto Olabe, Thiago Scuro and Tomas Rosicky also considered. Jason Ayto assumed the role in a provisional capacity in the absence of Edu and he will act as BERTA 2.
Berta’s swoop was led by managing director Richard Garlick and executive vice-president Tim Lewis while head coach Mikel Arteta was also consulted.
Josh Kroenke, Arsenal co -president, said: “Whoever knows football knows that Endrea is an impressive figure. He has a wide knowledge of the game, an excellent assessment, a solid network and an insatiable desire to constitute winning teams.
“Andrea will be an excellent addition to our club. He understands our values and what we defend and we have no doubt that he will help us to continue and take the next steps in our attempt to win major trophies.
“We have undertaken a complete recruitment process and we were extremely impressed by the level of all the other candidates, but it was Andrea’s experience and the success he appreciated that stood out.
“We are really impatient to work together and welcome him to the Arsenal family.”
Berta was an influential figure at Atletico since her arrival in May 2013 as a technical director. In July 2017, he was promoted to the role of the sports director and was often linked to a multitude of large European teams, including Manchester United.
He had previously occupied roles in the Italian clubs Perma and Genoa.