On Monday, Arsenal announced that sporting director Edu Gaspar had resigned from his position.
The 46-year-old Brazilian arrived at Arsenal in 2019 and played a major role in hiring then-assistant Manchester City manager Mikel Arteta to the Emirates as head coach. The move has proven to be a success, as Arsenal have become strongly competitive in the Premier League and Champions League for the first time in many years under Arteta — although they have only won the FA Cup so far.
“This was an incredibly hard decision to make,” said Edu. “Arsenal has given me the opportunity to work with so many amazing people and the chance to be a part of something so special in the club’s history.
“Now it is time to pursue a different challenge. Arsenal will always remain in my heart. I wish the club and its supporters only good things and all the very best.”
Edu was part of the famous Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ team of 2003-04, where they went the entire Premier League season without losing a single game, a feat that has not been replicated since. He played alongside legends Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva in midfield, although he was not always known as a regular starter. In all, he played 15 games in the Premier League that season. Following his playing career, he spent time in Brazil as Corinthians club director, as well as serving as the Brazilian national team’s general coordinator from 2016 to 2019. Shortly after, he became Arsenal’s first-ever technical director of football.
The Brazilian is now taking up a leadership role under Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis, who owns a network of football clubs including Premier League side Nottingham Forest. The new position is set to give Edu a substantial raise over his current salary at the Emirates.
His exit comes at a moment when Arsenal’s form has hit a bump. They currently sit 5th in the Premier League seven points off the top spot, and are winless in their last three Premier League matches, most recently losing to Newcastle United 1-0.
As of now, there has been no announcement on the official exit date. He will likely serve a notice period as he is a permanent staff member at Arsenal. The unexpected announcement will undoubtedly be a blow for Arteta and Arsenal, which comes at a pivotal moment in Arsenal’s season as they compete for the Premier League and Champions League.
