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Sunderland manager Gus Poyet's revival plans blocked by language barrier
GUS POYET’S recruitment plans have been hit by an embarrassing language problem.
The Sunderland manager’s ambitions of shaking up rock-bottom Sunderland in the January transfer window could be lost in translation.
The club’s Italian director of football Roberto De Fanti and his fellow countryman Valentino Angeloni, their chief scout, have set up a network of talent-spotters consisting almost exclusively of spies based in Italy.
It means all the reports on possible targets are being emailed to Sunderland in Italian! Not exactly the ideal Italian job for Uruguayan Poyet, who is fluent in Spanish and English.
But ahead of Newcastle’s visit to the Stadium of Light this afternoon, it’s another example of former agent De Fanti’s influence at the club. De Fanti, who has close links with American owner Ellis Short, was appointed director of football in June but had earlier advised Short on the controversial appointment of Paolo Di Canio following Martin O’Neill’s sacking.
Sunderland went further down the Italian path when they pushed their chief scout and popular former player Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson through the door in the summer.
De Fanti also supervised the signing of 14 new players in the last transfer window, 13 of them foreigners.
It was a shock within the game when De Fanti survived after Di Canio’s sacking.
When Poyet was appointed, he was told he would be expected to work alongside De Fanti and his Italian crew.