The rise of the sporting director: How little-known executives have replaced managers as the most important people at football clubs - with the world's biggest teams spending millions to hire the right man from a very narrow pool
![The rise of the sporting director: How little-known executives have replaced managers as the most important people at football clubs - with the world's biggest teams spending millions to hire the right man from a very narrow pool](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/15/17/81314799-0-image-m-64_1708018501033.jpg)
The age of the all-powerful manager, who controlled every detail of their club, appears to be over in the Premier League.