Raul Sanllehi has shared how he plans to run Inter Miami like FC Barcelona and Arsenal after being appointed as the Herons’ new president of football operations.
The Catalan soccer official was this week announced as one of two new presidents for Inter Miami with the Florida franchise naming Sanllehi and Xavi Asensi were both appointed by the MLS side for senior roles.
A name that will be remembered by Barcelona and Arsenal fans, Sanllehi has spent years working with some of the biggest clubs in soccer acting as a key figure in player development and trading, to mixed results.
And Sanllehi has now revealed why he chose to join Inter Miami and his plans for the club.
Sanllehi keen to create Inter Miami identity after Barcelona and Arsenal experiences
Speaking to the Miami Herald, Sanllehi noted how he wants to create an identity with Inter Miami, citing his experience and Barcelona and Arsenal as well as sharing how he plans to built a first-team squad with academy players.
Sanllehi said after being appointed by Inter Miami: “The club is very young but proving it’s thinking big. I love the motto: Freedom to Dream. That says a lot about the philosophy of this club and totally matches with my way of approaching life.
“Right now, the US is the place to be if you want to be in football, and the quality of life in South Florida, everything is perfect. I have a very clear idea of the model to run a football club. We developed that in Barca.
“I applied that in Arsenal, and in Zaragoza. My role is to make sure the whole football operation runs smoothly from the academy to the first team, making sure we create an identity through a development pathway.
“The best clubs, Ajax in the ‘70s, Bayern Munich in the ‘80s, Real Madrid in the ‘90s and then Barca, all were based on majority academy players. Inter Miami is at an inflection point. We made a historic jump. We have the new stadium coming and we need to make sure the organization can support the new stage.”
Sanllehi needs to show he can take the Herons to the next level
The last 12 months have been transformative for Inter Miami, who after last year’s arrival of Lionel Messi are now one of the most recognized clubs in all of soccer.
And whilst Sanllehi arrives with an impressive resume, the former Barcelona and Arsenal official has to show he has what it takes to push Inter Miami to that next level, with the new president saying the right words already.
Indeed, Inter Miami have the potential to become a real super club outside of Europe, and Sanllehi needs to ensure that he makes no mistakes that could sway the project, like what happened at Barcelona and Arsenal.