I cannot complain about our choice of a new Sporting Director, given that Atlético Madrid have long been the template I wished Arsenal would follow.
It is not just that Andrea Berta oversaw the Spanish club ending a two-decade title drought (sound familiar?) or that the team consistently punched above their weight in Europe—lifting the Europa League and reaching two Champions League finals under his tenure. What should give Gooners hope is that the Italian subscribes to the ethos that to be a big club, you must act like one.
The truth does not always matter because perception can become reality. Atlético have long been Real Madrid’s little brother in the Spanish capital, living off the scraps of the 15-time Champions of Europe. Financially, they have struggled for most of their history to compete with Spain’s two footballing giants. Yet those in power at the Metropolitano have never accepted that as an excuse for not being competitive; they have simply found another way.
It takes strong personalities to uphold such principles. Clearly, Diego Simeone possesses that strength—an ability to extract every ounce of potential from the resources available to him—and it is evident that he surrounds himself with individuals who share the same outlook.
It is worth noting that while Mr Berta cited wanting a new challenge as the reason for handing in his notice, many sources close to him suggest he made the decision as soon as he sensed he would no longer have the control he once held. While I believe he will be working with an ambitious manager in North London, I am less convinced about those who will be paying his wages.
I cannot be the only one who saw the irony when Stan Kroenke was the one declaring, “Anyone who knows the sport!” Ask our owner to name his greatest Gunners XI or our next three fixtures. Since first joining the board, the Kroenke family have adhered to a self-sustaining model, meaning the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City can offer bigger fees and wages.
That makes Mr Berta well-suited for this role, as he not only knows how to work within financial constraints but also demands creativity from those around him. There is no way the Italian would have accepted what happened in January when our recruitment team effectively waved the white flag in the title race. Whether it was scouting a hidden gem, leveraging his networks to find value, or securing a loan deal, a solution would have been found to strengthen our attack.
By most metrics, Arsenal are a bigger club than Atlético Madrid. However, based on the 54-year-old’s 12-year tenure in Spain, Atlético’s global reputation has grown, while Arsenal have regressed. Too many assets have been allowed to run down their contracts due to a fear of fan backlash, diminishing their value.
In Madrid, they never begged players to stay; instead, they made significant profits and reinvested in the squad. Often, individuals who left found themselves missing Atlético’s unique culture and returned when it made business sense (Griezmann and Costa). They conducted themselves like a big club by being smart enough to acknowledge they were not.
Arsenal would never have loaned a goalkeeper for years (as Atlético did with Courtois) due to concerns about appearing like a stepping stone. Yet, how much did Atlético benefit from that deal?
While Berta has contacts for identifying young talent, he has never shied away from signing experienced professionals if it made sense. Our transfer policy would have ruled out signing Luis Suárez at 33 due to concerns over resale value. In the short term, however, that move secured Atlético the La Liga title—because winning is part of the philosophy too.
That winning ethos, which Mr Berta helped to instil, is why we should welcome his presence in the Emirates corridors. Whether he will be listened to when it truly matters is another question entirely.
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