The meteoric rise of Pablo Longoria has been one the most impressive stories in football management during the last decade.
The Spaniard worked as a scout for Atalanta and Sassuolo before joining Juventus in 2015. He was the man behind Rodrigo Bentancur’s transfer from Boca Juniors to Turin.
In 2020, he become the sporting director of Olympique Marseille, before being appointed as the president of the Ligue 1 giants in February 2021. At the age of 34, he became the youngest OM president since 1909.
However, the Spaniard still recalls his time at Juventus with fondness, explaining how much he learned at the club and from its president Andrea Agnelli and former sporting director Fabio Paratici.
“The most important value I learned at Juventus was the culture of work. It is something difficult to explain,” said Longoria in an interview with Tuttosport via ilBianconero.
“At Juventus you know that the club was there before you and it will be there afterwards, and so you have to give your best while you work there.
“In the first days, I arrived as an observer, after the experiences with Atalanta and Sassuolo, and I was not among those who had the possibility to park the car inside Vinovo.
“So every day I took a little walk. I was walking along the wall where all the club’s triumphs are depicted. It was like a crash course in Juventus history. It helped me to quickly understand who I was working for/
“I have always been struck by Agnelli’s interventions. He knows how to choose words, timing and strength of the message. I am inspired by him, in this adventure at the helm of Marseille ».
“Working alongside Paratici was like attending the university of the transfer market. I also learned a lot from Cherubini. Federico’s vision and ability to work on long-term projects have always fascinated me.
“It is no coincidence that he built the second Juventus team before becoming the club’s director. And with Vlahovic he scored a great blow: a crazy sign of strength.”
Longoria also explains how Bentancur was already mature despite his young years before joining Juventus.
He also praises Giorgio Cheillini, saying that he’d love to have him at Marseille. Moreover, he believes that Sassuolo’s Giacomo Raspadori would be a great coup for the Bianconeri.
