Damien comolli arsene wenger biography
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He has previously worked as a football coach and scout, with AS Monaco, AS Saint-Étienne, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.[1] He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.
He was born in Béziers, France, and played as a youth team player at AS Monaco. Part of our culture is the use of data, we don’t hide from it.
This article provides an overview of his career path and key achievements.
Comolli`s Background and Premier League Experience
Comolli`s football career began as a youth player in the AS Monaco academy. The experiences I have, I want everyone to know about them. What was the style of play?
I met everyone involved with the club – coaches, playing staff, the mayor, the previous owner, the fan groups – and realised that the relationship between the city and football club was disjointed.
Specializes in Premier League coverage with a focus on tactical analysis and behind-the-scenes reporting. Coming back to Jordan Henderson at Liverpool, it was exactly this.
In the NFL they talk about a Head Coach coaching tree. We are probably at 60, 70% now, but as our Head of Strategy says, we need to be on top of it all the time and constantly fight to make sure the old culture doesn’t come back.
We have two player liaison officers and I always tell them, ‘When a new recruit comes in, he needs to understand the culture and what Toulouse FC is about as soon as he steps into your car.’
Even the part-time people working in hospitality or on the turnstiles need to be ingrained with our culture.
Comolli completed a law degree in 1995 and gained his French coaching licence.
In 1996 he joined Arsenal and spent seven seasons as a European scout and is credited with the discovery of several of Arsenal's players such as Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Eboué[2] and Gaël Clichy.[3] Between 2004 and 2005 he was technical director of AS Saint-Étienne.[4] The club went through a successful period, finishing sixth in the league and reaching the semi-finals of the Coupe de France.
Other signings under his remit included Dimitar Berbatov, David Bentley, and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
Subsequently, as Liverpool`s director of football strategy from 2010 onwards, Comolli was notably involved in the deadline day signings of both Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll during the January 2011 transfer window.
Roles at Saint-Etienne, Galatasaray, and Toulouse
Between his spells at Tottenham and Liverpool, Comolli held the position of sporting director at Saint-Etienne.
However, this period drew criticism following a series of unsuccessful signings that reportedly contributed to financial difficulties for the club.
Following his departure from Liverpool, Comolli took a break from football, with a brief stop at Galatasaray. And I have worked with Stuart Webber, Steve Hitchen, Michael Edwards, Riccardo Pecini at Spezia, who have all gone on to have senior roles.
It is fantastic what Liverpool have achieved.
He spent seven seasons as a European scout for Arsenal.
During his time at Arsenal, the first team achieved remarkable success, securing three Premier League titles, including the historic `Invincibles` season in 2003-04, a feat that remains unmatched. We say we can lose, but not because we aren’t prepared.
ALIGNING COACHING AND ANALYTICS
Our Head of Data links up with the coaching staff on a daily basis and also with the Head of Analysis.
If I didn’t create an environment for the leaders of tomorrow to grow, I would be a failure.
Who is Juventus’ New General Manager Damien Comolli?
Juventus has officially announced the appointment of Damien Comolli, previously President of Toulouse, as the club’s new General Manager. He said, ‘Everyone says Director of Football doesn’t work.
They also wanted a club with a good stadium, a good Academy and a local partner that was reliable and that they could work with.
Toulouse fits exactly the four criteria that were defined – and it was for sale with no debt. The way we manage the club here is that we control the recruitment, the owners and myself and the senior management.
When we hired our current Head Coach (Philippe Montanier) last summer he said, ‘How does it work?
He later returned as director of football at Toulouse, eventually becoming the club`s President until his recent move.
Under his presidency, Toulouse achieved promotion from Ligue 2 in the 2021-22 season and won the Coupe de France in 2023, which earned them a spot in the 2023-24 Europa League.
Interestingly, reports from various Italian outlets suggest that renowned statistician and “Moneyball” figure Billy Beane recommended Comolli for the Toulouse role to their ownership group, RedBird, who also own AC Milan.
Despite earlier speculation linking him to a potential move to AC Milan last year, the 55-year-old has now resigned from his position at Toulouse to accept the role of General Manager at Juventus.
Elliot Hathaway
Elliot Hathaway, 38, a sports journalist based in Manchester.
It’s the same with the players, so we do some very thorough research on them and their families and background.
I couldn’t see myself managing this club without starting with culture.
STYLE OF PLAY
I had never been in a situation before where I’d had to build a team to win promotion. He was then responsible for bringing to the club players such as L.Suarez and J.Henderson and saw the club win their first trophy in many years by winning the League Cup and reaching the FA Cup Final.
Damien now works as a strategic consultant for PL and Championship clubs, specializing in players and coaching staff recruitement.
As the current Chairman and Sporting Director of Toulouse FC, he has masterminded a renaissance both on and off the pitch and a return to Ligue 1.
Speaking on Episode #40 of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, Comolli told us about the strategies he has employed at Toulouse and how they were honed during three decades in football.
You can listen via the Player below and read an edited transcript after that.
REDBIRD’S CRITERIA FOR A CLUB
Damien Comolli: RedBird had analysed 70 clubs and visited 50 over three years.