Represents the Gunners’ upheaval
©IMAGO
In a difficult sporting phase, Arsenal FC has to reorient its sporting leadership. Sports director Edú Gaspar is leaving the Gunners and is one of the driving forces alongside coach Mikel Arteta, who was responsible for the North Londoners’ successful squad in recent years.
The former professional, who made 127 appearances for Arsenal as a player, will reportedly take up a role under multi-club owner Evangelos Marinakis. The Greek is a shareholder in Arsenal’s league rivals Nottingham Forest, currently third in the table in England, and in Olympiakos Piraeus. An exact role for Edú is not yet known. Arsenal’s statement about the departure does not address its next step. Edú himself simply stated: “Now it is time to take on another challenge. Arsenal will always remain in my heart.”
Edú has held a director’s position at Arsenal since 2019, so he also represents the decisive change at the Gunners, which was heralded by the lengthy farewells of former club icon Mesut Özil and top goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Arsenal had improved significantly since then, after two eighth places in 2020 and 2021, and after finishing fifth in the summer of 2022, they were runners-up in the Premier League twice. Edú’s decision to leave was “incredibly hard”.
There were warm farewell words from club owner Stan Kroenke: “We respect Edu’s decision and thank him for his immense contribution and commitment to moving the club forward. Everyone at the club wishes him all the best. We all like it and the positive energy it brings to everything and everyone. Change and development are part of our club. We remain focused on our strategy and on winning big trophies. Our succession plan will reflect this continued ambition.” Arsenal have slipped to fifth place in the Premier League after two defeats in their last three games.
