Since technology has transformed recruitment, Barcelona’s sports director Deco has informed the media at the World Mobile Congress that the team will no longer require many scouts. It is his responsibility to attract talent, not to locate it, claims the former agent.
Following what was mostly regarded as an excellent performance by the director of football and sporting director team of Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff, Deco will be in the limelight during his first full summer as the director of sports at Barcelona. As reported by Sport, Deco shared his opinions on how he sees things evolving during a lecture outlining the importance that technology plays in his work.
The times have changed significantly since we last required scouts. It is now unthinkable for a young player to remain unknown. Finding talent is simpler anywhere in the world. It is our responsibility to draw talent and mold it.
But for him, the real challenge is not finding the talent, but rather figuring out how the talent will handle hardship.
The biggest challenge is predicting how the players will respond under pressure. There is a lot of pressure at Barca because they are constantly vying for titles. We possess all the physical and statistical data, but understanding the mental makeup of a football player remains a formidable problem.
When asked what advice he would give other sporting directors, he said that, even with the benefits of technology, attending the games was still crucial.
“To watch games, you must travel to the stadiums; sports directors can take some courses. To become a sports director, however, you must first have a passion for sports; it makes no difference if you were a professional football player.
January melodies Vitor Roque, who entered on Deco’s recommendation, will provide an intriguing example of precisely that. After being gradually introduced to the game, Roque has made several great cameos, including a well-executed header and a precise finish against Alaves. He has also missed a lot of really easy opportunities in his first two months on the team. Being expected to play up front for Barcelona at the age of just eighteen puts you in one of the most stressful positions in the game.
