From Deco to Barcelona's sporting director: the trajectory of power of the Brazilian former player
Anderson Luis de Souza, born in Brazil and known as Deco in Portugal, returned to Barcelona two decades after his playing career to take the position of sporting director in 2023. Since then, the former midfielder has gained strength behind the scenes at the Catalan club, overcome the criticism surrounding his appointment, and is now pointed out as one of the major figures of the last transfer market, according to the Spanish newspaper As.
After seasons marked by financial difficulties, Barcelona recovered room to operate under the 1:1 rule and returned to heavy investment in signings. The club brought in names like Anthony Gordon, Rodri, Karim Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesus, Jesse Bisiwu, Dominik Livakovic and Hamza Abdelkarim, totaling an investment of approximately €174 million in fixed fees, in addition to expected bonus values.
Gordon was signed from Newcastle for €70 million plus €10 million in bonuses, representing one of the club's main moves in the window. With this move, Deco began implementing his own method for squad building, changing Barcelona's transfer policy and consolidating his role as one of the most powerful men at the club off the field.
