Buenos Aires, April 2 (NA) -- River Plate officially announced the arrival of Spanish director Pablo Longoria as the new sporting director. He will head the football project, reporting directly to Stefano Di Carlo and Enzo Francescoli, in a move aimed at reorganizing and strengthening the department's structure. The Spanish executive, 39, will join after his recent departure from the presidency of Olympique de Marseille, which ended speculation and confirmed his arrival at Núñez with full control over sports planning. Despite his age, Longoria has an extensive career, having started as a scout at Newcastle United in 2007. He then became head of scouting at Recreativo de Huelva after their promotion to LaLiga and continued his development at Atalanta, Sassuolo, Juventus, and Valencia CF. Later, he joined Marseille in 2020 as sporting director and became the club's president in 2021. His hiring is in line with the club's intention to elevate its performance across various areas. He will be responsible for the overall sports management with the goal of deepening the project and reinforcing the club's institutional image. Additionally, he will lead the scouting department to position River as a regional benchmark, promote the growth of youth football, and work on consolidating an environment that allows for the support and protection of players from the academy.
