August 5, 2022

The brief from today:

Luis Campos aims to change PSG culture

PSG are attempting a new approach starting this summer—both within the team, and also how they do business externally. The man at the helm of this shift is the new football advisor: Luis Campos. The Portuguese mastermind that built the Monaco and Lille sides—the only two to wrestle the Ligue 1 title from PSG in the past 10 seasons—has been appointed by the Qatari ownership to replace former sporting director Leonardo. Prior to Campos arriving there was lavish spending on big name players, both in terms of transfer fees and salaries, but this summer has already seen a shift. Out of the four signings made, Vitinha is the outlier at €40 million, while Ekitike arrived on loan, and Mukiele and Sanches cost €12 million and €15 million respectively. Contrast that with the spending from previous years which saw a world record €222 million paid for Neymar, and €180 million for Mbappe—not to mention the latter’s renewal rumored to be worth a total €250 million over three years. Campos’s approach on the transfer market, however, is the opposite. Much like he did at Lille and Monaco, he aims to find talent with immense potential, while only paying a nominal fee for the players. In fact, it was under Campos that Mbappe first came on the scene with the Monaco side that not only won Ligue 1, but also made it to the semifinal of the Champions League. Aside from the business dealings, Campos is also trying to institute a more disciplined culture and work ethic at PSG. Players have been warned not to be late to training and meetings, they are meant to have breakfast and lunch together with no phone calls allowed, and they have also been barred from frequenting nightclubs. It was reported that Campos acquired a list of late night locales popular with the players, and even scouted the venues to understand the types of places team members enjoyed spending time. With the backing of the club owners, Campos made it clear that players who don’t adhere to these rules are free to leave PSG. Of course, the goal of all of this isn’t just to instill discipline, the club is hoping that the changes will help achieve the one thing they are desperate for: a Champions League title. So far all the players are on board with the new measures, but whether that persists—and if results will be realized—is yet to be seen.

Luis Campos is looking to make some major changes at PSG

Brazil Congress involved in World Cup preparations

The sport’s committee in the lower house of Brazil’s Congress voted to have a new committee to monitor the national team as they prepare for the World Cup. After the defeat to Argentina in last year’s Copa America final, and the poor showings at both the 2014 and 2018 World Cup, the committee’s feeling is that the team’s current image isn’t favorable. According to a poll conducted by the Datafolha Institute, 51 percent of participants said they are disinterested in the World Cup. Such data has further fueled the committee’s stance with Congressman Jose Rocha saying, “We need to revitalize this sport, which besides playing an indisputable role in society is considered a national passion.” They have to manage their approach carefully, however, as FIFA has explicit rules against government interference in football activities past a certain point. In addition to that, the general public is also bemused by all of this. Much like the protests against the money spent to host the 2014 World Cup, complaints against this bill are once again fueled by the lack of attention given to other societal needs like: poverty, hunger, unemployment etc. As the World Cup nears, it will become clearer what exactly this committee intends to do regarding monitoring the squad.

Brazil coach, Tite (center with the black shirt), may have others joining training sessions soon