Barcelona have hired Xavier Budo as their new director of sports. He takes over from Thursday April 28 and will report directly to the new CEO, Ferran Reverter, after Oscar Grau was sacked on Wednesday.
Budo participated in Joan Laporta’s campaign and will manage all areas of professional sports, which Albert Soler had been doing before Laporta arrived.
The new executive is also the chief of La Masia, women’s football and sports science, and will lead the creating of the centre of sporting excellence. He will be a key figure in Laporta’s second spell at the club as chief.
He has been a mentor of sportspeople like Carla Suarez, between 2007-17 and Paula Badosa.