Franco Baldini

Franco Baldini is a sports manager and former Italian footballer in the role of midfielder.

As a footballer he made 23 appearances in Serie A with the Bologna jersey during the 1981/82 championship.

His managerial career began in 1998, when the president of Roma, Franco Sensi, hired him first as an external consultant, then as a market consultant, and finally as sporting director. Thanks to the heavy investments desired by the owners, he hired world-class players for the Roman team, such as Gabriel Batistuta, Emerson and Walter Samuel, with whom Roma won the championship in 2001.

In July 2006, recommended by Capello with whom he had already worked at Roma, he was hired by Real Madrid. In the Spanish capital he won a championship and bought the two Argentine talents Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuaín.

The following year he also followed Capello in his adventure with the English national team, being appointed assistant manager.