Sunderland close to appointing Roma's Florent Ghisolfi as director of football
Sunderland are close to appointing Florent Ghisolfi as the club's director of football.
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman will remain at newly-promoted Sunderland and will work alongside Ghisolfi, who was Roma's sporting director for 2024-25.
Ghisolfi had interest from other clubs including Newcastle United, who are assessing candidates to succeed outgoing sporting director Paul Mitchell, with interest also from Juventus, Fiorentina and Saudi Arabia.
Advertisement
A former midfielder, Ghisolfi led Roma to a top-five finish in Serie A for the first time in five seasons last term, missing out on Champions League qualification to Juventus by one point.
The 40-year-old, who decided to leave Roma this summer, had his first sporting director role at Lens, who won promotion back to Ligue 1 during his time at the club before later qualifying for the Champions League.
Ghisolfi worked at Nice with INEOS between 2022 and 2024, where head coach Francesco Farioli had wished to retain his services before Roma saw off interest from Monaco to secure his signature last summer.
Sunderland are back in the Premier League for the first time since 2017, having defeated Sheffield United in last month's Championship play-off final.
()
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jermaine Eluemunor Previews Evan Neal's Position Change
Jermaine Eluemunor Previews Evan Neal's Position Change originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Giants signed Jermaine Eluemunor to replace right tackle Evan Neal in 2024. He did so successfully, but in the process, he became a leader in the Giants locker room. Further, he became a mentor to Neal. Advertisement Now, Neal is embarking on a new journey. Pushed out of a starting job, Neal is hoping to save his career by moving to guard. Finally healthy, New York has granted him that opportunity in the offseason. While he isn't necessarily challenging for a starting spot any time soon, his transition seems to be going well. On Wednesday, Eluemunor previewed Neal's position change. 'I think that he's truly bought into it, and it's been cool for me to just watch the tape and just, he's a humongous dude,' Eluemunor told reporters. '… Obviously him going from tackle to guard is a big transition. And I've done it myself a couple times in my career, so to see him buying into it and to see how serious he's taking it is really cool to see. Advertisement 'And I think that he can be a really good player. I was telling him, I was like, if you lock in and you truly buy into this, you can be a really good guard just from seeing how he's done in the spring. I'm excited to see him in the summer and putting pads on.' The writing has been on the wall for the second first-round pick of the Giants' 2022 NFL Draft. But inside, there's reason to believe he could find more success. Rather than facing off against uber-athletic edge rushers and having to operate in space, Neal can rely more on his anchor to win between the tackles. Even so, the speed of the game is a bit different at guard. Perhaps that will allow Neal's aggressiveness to shine. That timing, Eluemunor says, will be paramount. 'I'd say the speed,' Eluemunor said. 'Everything at guard is bang, bang. At tackle, it's more patience and you have to be willing – you have to know when to strike at tackle essentially. At guard, those big guys like Dexter (Lawrence) they are on you within a millisecond and you got to be able to figure out what you need to do and how you can defeat them when you are blocking and ultimately win the block within a matter of seconds because if not, then they're going to be on the quarterback.' Advertisement Neal has been much better in the run game than pass protection as a pro, and kicking inside should emphasize that strength. If he can win with the same skills that made him a top-10 pick, there's room for him to make up ground on a rookie contract that's underwater. He already has Eluemunor's seal of approval. 'The sky is the limit for him, he's a talented kid and I think that he can be a really good player.' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein's ‘desperation' take before Game 6 vs Pacers
The post Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein's 'desperation' take before Game 6 vs Pacers appeared first on ClutchPoints. INDIANAPOLIS — While Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein knows the Indiana Pacers will be fighting to keep their season alive in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, he can almost taste the champagne and smell the cigar smoke. The champagne bottles will be on ice, accompanied by boxes of cigars at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, awaiting the Thunder to clinch their first championship in franchise history. Hartenstein's traveled a long road to reach this point. Advertisement It's a journey Hartenstein shares with many of his Thunder teammates in his first season with Oklahoma City. Hartenstein believes the Thunder, with a 3-2 lead in the Finals' best-of-7, have to play with a level of desperation that surpasses the Pacers' approach in Game 6. 'It's the first to four. So, we're not going to come in acting like everything is sealed, everything's done,' Hartenstein said. 'They're gonna come out with desperation. They're a great team, and we're gonna come out with the same, probably even more, desperation. That's where we're at,' Hartenstein said. 'We're not looking too far ahead. Mark does a great job of not focusing too much on the outside. Not focusing too much on if we win one game, we're going to win a championship. 'We're really focused on let's play this Game 6. Let's go through the ups and downs through the Game 6, but then also, just establish it early, and come out with an emphasis,' Hartenstein concluded. The notion that the Larry O'Brien trophy and everything that comes with it — commemorative Thunder championship t-shirts, cigars, and champagne will be in the building at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse — should yield a desperate approach. Couple that with the possibility of hosting a Game 7, where anything can happen, back in Oklahoma City, and you'd understand why it's imperative for the Thunder to close out the Pacers on the road in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder's battle adversity, is paying off Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Before Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein inked a three-year, $87 million deal, he was fighting to stay in the NBA. It's a background many of his teammates can relate to, which Hartenstein addressed before practice for Game 6. Advertisement 'We've all been through certain obstacles in our careers. I think we're very mature for our ages because we've been through that adversity,' Hartenstein said. 'I also think Sam [Presti] and Mark [Daigneault] did a great job of just establishing a culture where you can thrive in situations.' Now, the Thunder are on the cusp of capturing their first championship in franchise history. Related: Chet Holmgren's honest message before NBA Finals Game 6 Related: Mark Daigneault explains how Thunder can clinch championship in Game 6
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
🎙️ Kompany expects 'emotional' Boca Juniors clash and talks Coman future
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany expects plenty of emotion during the club's upcoming Club World Cup clash against Boca Juniors. The Argentine side began the tournament with a chaotic 2-2 draw against Benfica, which featured three sending-offs. Now with the top spot in the group on the table, the manager is aware that things might get dramatic. Advertisement "We watched the Boca vs. Benfica game, and there were emotions in the game," said Kompany during his pre-match press conference. "But we want to be Bayern Munich. We have to show the right emotion. "We know a lot of Argentine players from European leagues. It's a type of football we understand very well. "We know the quality of South American teams, also through South American players who play in Europe. South American teams have always played very well in the World Cups, too." Bayern, meanwhile, are coming off a 10-0 thrashing against amateur side Auckland City in their Club World Cup opener. With arguably their biggest test ahead, Kompany expects a much tougher experience against the legendary Argentine club. Advertisement "We respect Boca," he said. "They're a very dangerous team in transition. The team's spirit is good. They're a very good team." "[Luis Advíncula] is physically strong, fast, and has a lot of experience. He's been to many clubs, and the coach is counting on him to bring stability in important games. But Boca has many players with a lot of quality." Fortunately for the 39-year-old, he can rely on the efforts of a healthy squad. Jamal Musiala and Dayot Upamecano are fit, while Kingsley Coman has reiterated his desire to stay at the club and show his best work on the pitch. Advertisement "Before the tournament, there was a question about which players would get fit the fastest: the national team players or those who had been there the whole time," said Kompany. "Jamal Musiala and Dayot Upamecano haven't played for a long time. We're very happy they're back and fit. Integration is an important issue, and we'll have to see how it goes. Otherwise, everyone is 100 percent fit. It's about healthy competition and tactics." Unfortunately, Kingsley was injured a few times, but otherwise he's always played an important role. When a player plays, it's a sign. King has repeatedly scored important goals for the club," Kompany added. Advertisement "We have four players on the wing who have a lot of quality, plus the other players who can play there too. We've never been short of quality. The only thing that matters to me now is the tournament." Ultimately, a win against Boca Juniors on Friday evening will send the Bavarians through to the knockout stage of the Club World Cup. 📸 FEDERICO PARRA - AFP or licensors
