Cristiano Ronaldo urged Vadim Vasilyev to sign Sporting’s manager | OneFootball

Before joining PSG, it was at Monaco that Luís Campos solidified his reputation as the most influential sporting director in European football. Hired in 2013 by Vadim Vasilyev, then the club's general director, the Portuguese was decisive in changing the paradigm in the principality, especially when financial fair play restrictions forced Monaco to abandon the star policy and strongly focus on detecting and valuing young talents.

The new strategy also required a coach aligned with the project's vision, and that's when the name Leonardo Jardim emerged. After narrowing it down to three or four names, the choice fell on the then Sporting coach, who had come off a remarkable season in Portugal by leading a young team to second place in the league.

Before finalizing the decision, Vadim Vasilyev decided to confirm impressions with a particularly authoritative voice: Cristiano Ronaldo (who was praised by an NBA star): “I called Cristiano Ronaldo, who confirmed everything we thought: Jardim fit into our project,” the director revealed to L’Équipe.

The Madeiran coach accepted the challenge even after million-dollar sales, without pointing fingers at the structure, consolidating a “triangle” of trust between coach, sporting director, and management. The success culminated in the 2017 French title, with a team built from scratch by Luís Campos and led by Leonardo Jardim. The call to Cristiano Ronaldo helped seal one of the most significant decisions of the Monegasque project.

It should be remembered that Leonardo Jardim coached Sporting in the 2013/2014 sports season, reaching second place in the National Championship. For the green and white emblem, the coach achieved 23 wins, eight draws, and four losses in 35 games played. He moved to Monaco for 3 million euros.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.