Valencia CF Unveils New Sports Structure to Enhance Competitiveness

Valencia CF has officially launched a new sports structure designed to stimulate athletic growth and improve competitive performance in the upcoming seasons, as stated in a recent press release from the club.

This reorganization, effective immediately, introduces three new roles within the sports area, which will operate under the leadership of Ron Gourlay, the CEO of Football, following the departure of former sporting director Miguel Corona, who has now joined the organizational framework of Panathinaikos.

The club emphasizes that the expertise, knowledge, and network of contacts possessed by these new professionals will significantly strengthen the strategic planning of both the first team and the VCF Academy.

The appointments aim to establish “a modern and cohesive structure” that will position Valencia CF within an organizational model that aligns with the standards of the most competitive clubs in European football.

Lisandro Isei has been appointed as the new Director of Recruitment and Scouting, bringing with him experience from his prior role as Director of Scouting at Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, where he worked alongside Gourlay. He has also served as Head of Analysis and Technical Scouting at Charlotte FC in the United States and as a scout for European clubs such as Willem II and FC Dordrecht.

For the position of Head of Scouting for Europe, the club has recruited Hans Gillhaus, a former player and European Cup champion with PSV Eindhoven. His background includes scouting responsibilities at PSV, Chelsea FC, Arsenal FC, and Atalanta BC, as well as technical management roles at Zulte Waregem in Belgium and coordination of the European scouting network for Sunderland FC.

The international scouting department will be rounded out by Andrés Zamora Patacchiola as Head of Scouting for South America. Previously, he was the head scout at San Lorenzo de Almagro, a scout for AVS Futebol in Portugal, and most recently, he served as the head of scouting for the first team at Olympique de Marseille in South America.

According to the press release, the addition of these three profiles aligns with President Kiat Lim’s vision for the future and reflects the club’s commitment to preparing Valencia CF to meet the challenges posed by the national and international transfer market, combining data analysis with fieldwork.