The appointment of former Barcelona and Arsenal director of football Raúl Sanllehí as co-president of Inter Miami CF signifies a new era for the club’s sporting side. Sanllehí, alongside Xavier Asensi, will be overseeing player development from the academy to the first team, bringing with him a wealth of experience from top clubs like Barcelona and Arsenal. Sanllehí’s vision for the club is clear – to turn Inter Miami into a global football powerhouse by focusing on developing a strong academy.
Sanllehí’s experience at Barcelona, where he played a crucial role in the development of players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, has shaped his beliefs on how clubs should be structured. He draws inspiration from Johan Cruyff’s philosophy of building a strong academy to produce players that can eventually transition into the first team. Sanllehí firmly believes that the success of legendary clubs in Europe has been built on the foundation of academy players, and he aims to replicate that model at Inter Miami.
Inter Miami already boasts several academy players in the senior team, with players like Leo Alfonso, Benjamin Cremaschi, and David Ruiz making significant contributions on the field. These players have shown that the club’s focus on youth development is bearing fruit, with Alfonso’s winning goal against the Philadelphia Union being a recent highlight. Under Sanllehí’s leadership, the club aims to further strengthen its academy to produce more homegrown talent for the first team.
While Sanllehí will be primarily focused on the sporting side of the club, Xavier Asensi will continue to oversee the commercial aspect as president of business operations. Asensi, who joined Inter Miami in 2021 from Barcelona, has already played a significant role in tripling the club’s revenues. With Asensi’s expertise in business operations complementing Sanllehí’s vision for player development, the two are poised to work together to drive the club’s growth on all fronts.
The partnership between Sanllehí and Asensi as co-presidents of Inter Miami CF represents a strategic approach to building a successful football club. By combining Sanllehí’s experience in elite clubs and player development with Asensi’s business acumen, the club aims to create a sustainable model for long-term success. The duo’s shared goal of turning Inter Miami into a global football powerhouse suggests that exciting times lie ahead for the club and its fans.
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