In English football, we hear from everyone players, managers, pundits, except the people shaping the game’s biggest decisions: the sporting directors. These are the architects behind multi-million-pound transfers, youth development, and club identity. Yet they rarely speak publicly, even though their choices decide whether a club rises or falls.
Every English Premier League (EPL) season sees billions spent on new players, but those moves come after years of scouting, planning, and risk assessment. Sporting directors build these strategies by choosing who fits the team’s vision, when to invest, and how to manage budgets. Still, when things go wrong, it’s almost always the manager who faces the criticism.
Tradition in EPL has long made the manager the public face of everything football-related, while sporting directors remain hidden figures. In other European leagues like Germany or Spain, however, sporting directors are far more visible, often explaining transfers or long-term plans in the media.
Why EPL’s sporting directors stay quiet and why that needs to be changed?
A recent Football Benchmark study shows how fragile this role can be. Across Europe’s top five leagues, sporting directors stay in the job for an average of just 2.6 years. In the Premier League, that number drops to around 1.8 years.
Fewer than half of them are former players, and many come from scouting, data analysis, or operational roles. Only about a third are promoted internally. Short tenures and varied backgrounds make long-term planning difficult, and when those directors stay silent, fans are left with little understanding of what’s really happening behind the scenes.
This silence has consequences. Without context, supporters often don’t know why certain signings are made or why others fail. Was it down to injuries, tactics, or budget constraints? When these details are hidden, frustration usually falls unfairly on the manager or players.
In Germany, where sporting directors regularly explain their decisions, fans gain a clearer sense of the club’s direction. After Bayern Munich’s 3–0 win over Frankfurt, for example, Max Eberl spoke openly about new signing Luis Díaz and his defensive contributions, offering fans insight into how carefully the club had planned that move.
Newcastle, Everton, and Liverpool have done it, other EPL clubs too should step-up to showcase their silent builders
In England, such openness is rare but not entirely absent. Newcastle United’s Paul Mitchell has stepped forward to explain the club’s transfer strategy, while Everton’s Kevin Thelwell outlined his plan for a shared identity and structure soon after taking charge.
Liverpool’s Richard Hughes has drawn praise for the way he directly influences recruitment and squad planning. Even a short comment or appearance from him can reshape how fans perceive the club’s leadership and direction.
If sporting directors spoke up more often, everyone would gain. Fans would see the bigger picture, managers could share responsibility for results, and clubs would build stronger identities through clear, consistent communication.
Transparency enriches football stories. The sport isn’t just about goals and wins anymore — it’s about vision, culture, and long-term strategy.
Sporting directors drive how modern football evolves, yet their silence keeps supporters in the dark. At a time when openness creates trust and connection, working quietly behind closed doors no longer fits the modern game.
The game is changing, and in the EPL, the most watched and influential league in world football, it’s time the people shaping it found their voice.
