River Plate have officially appointed Pablo Longoria as their new sporting director, the Argentine club confirmed in a statement. The 37-year-old Spaniard joins the Buenos Aires giants after being sidelined from his role as president of Olympique de Marseille in March. Longoria's arrival marks a swift return to a high-profile football executive role and signals a new direction for River's recruitment strategy.
In its announcement, River Plate highlighted Longoria's focus on "identifying and developing talent" throughout his career, noting his close following of South American football "with a sustained presence in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil." The club stated that Longoria's appointment is part of a "medium and long-term institutional project" aimed at integrating more young talents into the first team and optimizing the club's recruitment processes. This move comes at a critical juncture for the club, which failed to qualify for the Copa Libertadores last season and recently appointed a new head coach, Eduardo Coudet, in early March.
Longoria's tenure at Marseille was notable for a data-driven approach to the transfer market, overseeing signings such as Matteo Guendouzi, Alexis Sanchez, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. His network and experience in European football are expected to be valuable assets for River Plate as they seek to rebuild and compete both domestically and continentally. The club's statement suggests a clear intention to leverage his expertise to strengthen their scouting and youth development pipelines.
For Longoria, the move represents a significant career shift to one of South America's most historic clubs, offering a fresh challenge after his abrupt departure from Marseille. For River Plate, securing an executive with his profile underscores their ambition to modernize their football operations following a period of underachievement. The immediate task will be to support Coudet in shaping a squad capable of challenging for the Argentine Primera División title and returning to the pinnacle of continental competition.
