Off the field operations

Could just paste in the text content from each tweet rather than embed each one

 

Sunderland AFC are on the brink of making a season defining appointment. A best-in-class, well connected Director of Football, Florent Ghisolfi. A key addition to the team behind the team, he may be the key for Sunderland's safety and beyond. Let me explain...

Ghisolfi's playing career was exclusively in France, and upon retirement he got into coaching. This included being the no.2 for Mickael Landreu at Lorient. Whilst current Sunderland Head Coach, Regis le Bris was B Team coach.

But his true talents lay elsewhere. In 2019, Ghisolfi would take up the role of Sporting Director at RC Lens. RC Lens were promoted in his first year at the helm, as he built a strong working relationship with head coach Franck Haise.

Over the next three seasons, RC Lens would have back to back 7th place positions and an incredible title run, finishing just 1 point behind PSG in the 22/23 season. (Ghisolfi had left by that point, but his impact on the squad composition is evident).

Kevin Danso - Signed for €8m - Became an elite CB & joined Spurs for €25m Seko Fofana - Signed for €8.5m - Became an elite CM & sold for €25m Facundo Medina - Signed for €3.5m - Has become one of the best CB's in Ligue 1 Jonathan Clauss - Free & Became a French International

His impressive work was noticed by OGC Nice, where he would join in October of 2022. More money was spent on players and some of these gambles didn't pay off. But at the same time he trimmed the bloated wage bill and made some smart experienced signings.

His work maneuvering difficult situations made clubs interested, in February of 2024 he was linked to moves away. Liverpool, Manchester United and AS Roma were looking into his availability, and it would be the Italian outfit that would pursue his signature.

Another somewhat turbulent job was ahead of Ghisolfi as the club cycled through 3 managers in a year. Danielle De Rossi, Ivan Juric & Ranieri all within a season. Ranieri was able to show the potential signings Ghisolfi had made with a 61% win rate & 5th place finish.

Marquee signings Matias Soulé & Kouadio Koné have impressed and will continue to increase in value. Whilst Dovbyk was scored 17 goals in his first season for I Giallorossi. Enzo Le Fee is a player #SAFC fans will know well, it didn't work out but fee was recouped

Which brings us to now... Florent Ghisolfi has agreed to join Sunderland as Director of Football, working alongside Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman. [
@David_Ornstein
] Ghisolfi's connections and elite club experience will be the key in the evolution of the Wearside club.

 

Thanks mate

 

KLD has chosen to extend the use of a private box to the Bradley Lowery Foundation for the new season.

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/spor...reyfus-amazing-gesture-bradley-lowery-5187986