Aston Villa Football Club has happily confirmed Ramón Rodriguez Verdejo, commonly known as 'Monchi', as their new President of Football Operations, leaving his former position as Sevilla's sporting director. Monchi is set to join his former colleague, Unai Emery, at Villa, which is touted to be an exciting reunion since their collaborative victory of three consecutive Europa League titles between 2014 and 2016.

During his tenure at Sevilla, Monchi led the team to win an impressive seven Europa League titles, the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) twice, and the European Super Cup. He was instrumental in the club's repeated successes and is now eager to bring his expertise to Aston Villa. "After enjoying so many years with Sevilla FC and winning several European trophies with my life-long club, I look forward to building on the recent successes at Aston Villa and ensuring this colossal club continues to grow and improve," Monchi expressed.

The former goalkeeper is set to commence his duties at Aston Villa from July, subject to obtaining his work permit. He will be reporting to Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens and will be managing all football matters at the Group, working closely with Unai Emery to steer the club.

 

Monchi's departure from Sevilla marks the end of his second term with the LaLiga club. After a stint at AS Roma as the sporting director from 2017 to 2019, he returned to Sevilla before deciding to join the Premier League club.

Emery, who took charge of Aston Villa last October, has significantly improved the team's performance, pulling them from the brink of relegation to finish seventh in the Premier League, ushering the club into European football after more than a decade.

Commenting on Monchi's appointment, Nassef Sawiris, Chairman of AVFC, said: "We are delighted to have Monchi joining us in this new position that consolidates all football responsibilities at the Group. He is, like Unai Emery, a serial winner."

Further augmenting the leadership team, Damian Vidagany will assume the role of Director of Football Operations, working closely with Unai Emery to manage the day-to-day operations, while Johan Lange will serve as the Global Director of Football Development and International Academies.

Monchi's departure has taken Sevilla by surprise, with president Pepe Castro saying, "The Monchi affair has caught us a bit by surprise." However, Sevilla FC has officially confirmed Monchi's departure from the club, ending his second spell that began in April 2019 after his tenure at AS Roma.