Arsenal announced yesterday afternoon that former midfielder and Invincible Edu has joined the club as their first-ever technical director.
Joining the club from a similar position with the Brazilian national team, which recently won Copa America on home soil, Edu will undertake a role in which he will oversee the running of the club, working closely with coaches to ensure ‘efficient strengthening of the squad’.
Following the announcement on the club website, Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi named Edu as “the final and very important part of the jigsaw”.
Meanwhile, he has been enthusiastically welcomed by club legend Ian Wright, who is in no doubt that the Brazilian will continue his success at Arsenal following this tweet:
Welcome home my friend ?? Great appointment moving the club in the right direction. Someone that understands what it takes and understands the club + our fans. https://t.co/im3873Sq5t
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) July 9, 2019
Wright’s joy at the appointment is by no means a case of blind optimism. The key to this appointment is who it is, rather than what it is.
In appointing Edu of all people, Arsenal have created a role of high importance to someone with first-hand experience of delivering the kind of success that the club are striving for, as Arsenal look to return to the Champions League after what will be three years away by the end of next season.
Edu’s Arsenal career – which saw a haul of two FA Cups and two Premier Leagues (one of which was won unbeaten) – leaves him with no shortage of experience to draw upon what it takes to make the club successful.
Replicating the success he was part of at Brazil would see the ex-midfielder’s return to North London more than pay off, as Arsenal continue to rebuild their backroom staff off the back of Arsene Wenger’s departure.
And as one of Wenger’s Invincible heroes, there’s no reason why the excitement and positivity from the likes of Wright can’t be justified in the years to come, as the Frenchman’s Gunners legacy lives on through the return of Edu.
