Former Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar has taken on a new role in English football. The Brazilian will be a senior advisor to the new owners of Northampton Town, which competes in League Two - the fourth tier of English football.
The appointment is the latest change in the professional path of the former Brazil international, who has changed several positions in recent months. In September, he left his post as global football director at Nottingham Forest and subsequently joined the board of directors of Bulgarian side Levski. His new role at Northampton is reported by the BBC.
Last month, a consortium from Brazil, which also includes former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Alexandre Pato, finalized the acquisition of the English club. However, Northampton is going through a difficult period on the pitch and currently occupies 23rd place in the League 2 standings.
The information about Edu's inclusion in the management structure was confirmed by the club's co-chairman Joao Xavier during a meeting with supporters. He explained that the Brazilian specialist will help solve sporting issues according to the specific needs of the club, that is, on a temporary and situational basis.
Gaspar's new position also emphasizes the ties between the investors in Northampton and the owners of Levski. The Bulgarian club is owned by the London-based investment company Gemcorp Capital, owned by Atanas Bostandzhiev.
At the same time, Gemcorp Capital is among the key investors in Sports Alpha Capital - the group that became the majority shareholder in Northampton Town. Thus, a financial and organizational relationship is formed between the management of the two clubs, and the participation of Edu Gaspar in the English team's project further strengthens the interest in the development of the new ownership structure.