Can Premier League’s silent decision-makers learn from Bundesliga sporting directors? - The Athletic

The Premier League is known for generating extensive noise through comments, analysis, and opinions from various stakeholders, yet its decision-makers, such as sporting directors and transfer experts, remain notably quiet, rarely speaking publicly about their roles in team building or defending their departments.

This silence is particularly curious given the capitalist nature of modern football, exemplified by the recent summer transfer window where Premier League clubs spent a combined £3.11 billion on players, yet those directing these strategies do not engage in public discourse, leaving managers to explain failures or shortcomings instead.

In contrast, sporting directors in other regions are more accessible; in the United States, general managers often appear in media, while in German football, figures like Bayern Munich's Max Eberl routinely interact with the media, as seen when he praised new signing Luis Diaz's performance and defended transfer decisions, fostering accountability.

The system in Germany, where decision-makers face public scrutiny, is highlighted as beneficial for transparency, whereas in England, sporting directors rarely give in-depth interviews, with interactions often limited to club-controlled media and lacking substantive answers, creating a sense of secrecy.

This lack of communication in English football is viewed as a legacy issue from past decades when managers held near-total control over clubs, handling everything from player scouting to logistics, which has perpetuated a culture where sporting directors remain in the background despite their significant influence on team construction.