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Edu Gasper appointed Arsenal new Technical Director: experts weigh in

edu-arsenal

Edu Gasper appointed Arsenal new Technical Director

Well! One of the worst kept secrets in world football has been confirmed, as Brazil head coordinator,  Edu Gaspar, has been confirmed as Technical director of Arsenal football club, following a successful Copa America for Brazil.

Edu’s duties will include coordinating the first team coaching group, the academy and the recruitment sectors, so that all the club is working in harmony.

Head of football Raul Sanllehl said:

   “His arrival is the final and very important part of the jigsaw in our development of a new football infrastructure to take us forward. He will be working closely with Unai Emery and the first-team coaches, and will play a relevant role leading our football vision and ensuring we have – and follow – a solid philosophy through all our football activities.”

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Speaking to Arsenal.com Edu said:

   “Arsenal has always had a special place in my heart and I’m thrilled to be returning to this great club in this new role. We have a strong squad and some very talented young players with fantastic people at every level. I’m looking forward to helping make a difference.”

It’s an incredible U-turn for Edu to take the technical director job with Arsenal – having been offered the role in early January and turned it down two weeks later, citing that he wished to stay at the Selecao – with a contract that runs out in 2022.

The news broke about Edu originally in May, when respected Brazilian football blogger Juca Kfouri wrote that the former Arsenal man would be joining the Gunners after the Copa America. Kfouri also told us that Edu was being paid £38,540 a week in his then current job so he must have been offered a significant sum by Arsenal to prise him away.

Later that night ESPN commentator and Yahoo blogger Jorge Nicola confirmed the story, saying that Edu Gaspar and Arsenal had had an agreement since February; Nicola also alleged that Edu had a testy relationship with CBF President Rogério Caboclo, who would look to replace Edu should Brazil have a bad showing at the Copa America (which ended on Sunday July 7th).

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TERESOPOLIS, BRAZIL – MAY 21: The General Coordinator of the Brazilian national football team, Edu Gaspar, attends a press conference at Granja Comary Training Center for the first phase of preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia on May 21, 2018 in Teresopolis, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Exclusively Speaking to Brazil’s Head Researcher for Football Manager and Former Sky Sports correspondent, Paulo Freitas told us that:

   “Edu was already respected for his work at Corinthians, and after Corinthians won Libertadores and the Club World Cup, he eventually moved to the NT alongside Tite. Joining the national team increased his profile but also lead to criticism due to a perceived bias for Corinthians players, a criticism Tite had to deal with too.

   I think Edu Gaspar’s experience at both a hugely popular club (Corinthians) and the NT will help him deal with pressure at Arsenal. And he knows Arsenal’s and English football’s culture, so adapting should be easy. The fact he had a solid career as a player in Europe, and did good jobs after retiring mean he can do a good job connecting Arsenal and Brazilian football ideas.”

With regards any possible targets Edu might be looking at for Arsenal besides Gabriel Martinelli, Paulo Freitas also says:

   “Edu Gaspar has a good knowledge of Brazilian players due to his work for Corinthians and the Seleção. He has previously praised some Brazil-based players like (centre back) Rodrigo Caio and (Forward) Dudu, he is also a fan of (centre back) Militão but signing him is not likely as he is moving to Real Madrid.”

Among many other places you can find Paulo Freitas on Twitter at @Cynegeticus.

dudu

Talk about Dudu is supported by a recent interview with Edu Gasper in March where he said that the Palmeires attacker was in the national team’s thoughts, despite injury problems.

   “Dudu is always on our agenda, in our conversations and being observed. We understand perfectly what you (journalists) ask us, this concern about Dudu”.

Another player Arsenal could be interested in is Gremio left winger Everton, who impressed during the Copa America , due to his goals, direct running and overall work rate.

Edu Gaspar spoke impressively before the World cup about how he has changed the ethos of the Brazilian National team.

Andrei Netto who interviewed Edu Gaspar, in November 2017 wrote:

   “Since he and his team arrived at CBF , they work on the reorganization of everyday work, creating responsibilities and goals. The goals were divided into four periods: pre-call(up), call(up), FIFA dates and analysis.“

In his interview with Netto, Gaspar says:

   “For me the main point of management was our going to the CBF to dispatch on a day-to-day basis. Then we find the way we work. Selection is a work of intelligence: you have to think hard, because you are not with the athletes. Hire a Fábio Mahseredjian, a Cléber Xavier, a Mateus, Silvinho in Europe, Taffarel … This 100% dedicated workforce to the selection is a new fact.”

Speaking about the organisation and analysis he brought to the Brazil national team Edu said:

   “We verify the number of games, of performances, we do the physical accompaniment, the percentage of fat. Today we present reports to the athletes and neither do they believe.They ask us how we know that. But it’s part of our job. When our “Fifa period” ends, Fabio has the first job of sending all the physical, clinical and technical reports of each player to his clubs. From day 1 to the last day, all clubs receive everything you can imagine: how many workouts, intensity, weight, what they ate. (Jurgen) Klopp (Liverpool manager) even quoted. This gives full support for them to decide whether or not to put the athlete to play the next day. If I am not mistaken, it is only us and the British team to do this kind of analysis.”

With all this information now understood, Arsenal fans can see why the Gunners were so impressed by Edu Gaspar and what he can bring to an already analytical organisational team at the North London outfit.

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One Response to Edu Gasper appointed Arsenal new Technical Director: experts weigh in

  1. chris July 10, 2019 at 11:08 am #

    I always liked Edu but how many senior managers do we need – each, no doubt, with his own view on things ?

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