Juventus has officially announced the appointment of Damien Comolli, previously President of Toulouse, as the club’s new General Manager. This article provides an overview of his career path and key achievements.
Comolli`s Background and Premier League Experience
Comolli`s football career began as a youth player in the AS Monaco academy. He transitioned into coaching with the club`s U16 team and later obtained a law degree and coaching qualifications by the late 1990s.
Having been at Monaco during Arsene Wenger`s tenure, the two reunited when Comolli moved to North London in 1996. He spent seven seasons as a European scout for Arsenal.
During his time at Arsenal, the first team achieved remarkable success, securing three Premier League titles, including the historic `Invincibles` season in 2003-04, a feat that remains unmatched. Comolli is credited with identifying and facilitating the transfers of players like Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, and Gael Clichy to the Premier League.
His influence on Premier League transfers continued at Tottenham Hotspur, where he served as director of football. In 2008, he played a significant role in signing future Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric. Other signings under his remit included Dimitar Berbatov, David Bentley, and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
Subsequently, as Liverpool`s director of football strategy from 2010 onwards, Comolli was notably involved in the deadline day signings of both Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll during the January 2011 transfer window.
Roles at Saint-Etienne, Galatasaray, and Toulouse
Between his spells at Tottenham and Liverpool, Comolli held the position of sporting director at Saint-Etienne. However, this period drew criticism following a series of unsuccessful signings that reportedly contributed to financial difficulties for the club.
Following his departure from Liverpool, Comolli took a break from football, with a brief stop at Galatasaray. He later returned as director of football at Toulouse, eventually becoming the club`s President until his recent move.
Under his presidency, Toulouse achieved promotion from Ligue 2 in the 2021-22 season and won the Coupe de France in 2023, which earned them a spot in the 2023-24 Europa League.
Interestingly, reports from various Italian outlets suggest that renowned statistician and “Moneyball” figure Billy Beane recommended Comolli for the Toulouse role to their ownership group, RedBird, who also own AC Milan.
Despite earlier speculation linking him to a potential move to AC Milan last year, the 55-year-old has now resigned from his position at Toulouse to accept the role of General Manager at Juventus.
