Damien Comolli
Encyclopedia
Damien ComolliDamien Comolli (born 13 December 1972 in Béziers
, France
) is the Director of Football
for Liverpool. He has previously worked as a football coach and scout, with AS Monaco, AS Saint-Étienne
, Arsenal
and Tottenham Hotspur
. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.
He was born in Béziers
, France, and played as a youth team player at AS Monaco. In 1992, he began a successful three-year coaching job with Monaco, where he looked after the club's Under-16 squads and won the state championship at that level. Comolli completed a law degree in 1995 and gained his French coaching licence.
In 1996 he joined Arsenal
and spent seven seasons as a European scout and is credited with the discovery of several of Arsenal's players such as Kolo Touré
, Emmanuel Eboué
and Gaël Clichy
. Between 2004 and 2005 he was technical director of AS Saint-Étienne
. The club went through a successful period, finishing sixth in the league and reaching the semi-finals of the Coupe de France
. During his time there he also oversaw a number of important first team signings and developed partnerships with junior and amateur clubs, locally, nationally and internationally.
In 2005 he became Director of Football
at Tottenham Hotspur
, with overall responsibility for the medical, academy, scouting and club secretarial departments, replacing the outgoing Frank Arnesen
. During his time there he had several disagreements with coach Martin Jol
, who, after his departure from Spurs, complained several players had been signed by Comolli without his agreement. He spent three years in the job but with Tottenham performing poorly in 2008-09 and some of Comolli's signings coming in for criticism, he was dismissed in October 2008, along with manager Juande Ramos, assistant Gus Poyet
and first team coach Marcos Álvarez. During his time at Tottenham, Comolli was responsible for Tottenham's policy of signing some of the world's brightest young talents, bringing players such as Gareth Bale
, Alan Hutton
, Kevin-Prince Boateng
, Giovani dos Santos
, Adel Taarabt
and Younes Kaboul
to the club. Comolli was also responsible for the signings of current Tottenham first-team squad members Luka Modrić
, Benoit Assou-Ekotto
, Heurelho Gomes, David Bentley
(now at West Ham United on loan), Vedran Ćorluka
and Roman Pavlyuchenko
, as well as Dimitar Berbatov
(now at Manchester United
).
On 9 November 2008 it was announced that he would return to Saint-Étienne as sporting director. His appointment led to the departure of manager Laurent Roussey
.
On 3 November 2010 his appointment as Director of Football Strategy at Liverpool
was announced, with part of his remit being to oversee the recruitment of new players to the club.
Comolli made an instant impact at Liverpool as he was responsible for the signings of two young bright talents, Luis Suárez
and Andy Carroll
, on January 2011's transfer deadline day, with Carroll's signing breaking the record for most expensive British player ever and 8th most expensive player in history, overtaking David Villa
and Wayne Rooney
.
On 22 March 2011 Comolli was appointed as the Director of Football at Liverpool.
In an interview Comolli stated it covers pretty much the whole football side of running the football club, although he does not get involved in team training or selection.
In the summer transfer window for the 2011/12 season Comolli has helped Liverpool FC sign Jordan Henderson
, Charlie Adam
, Stewart Downing
, Doni
, Jose Enrique
, Sebastian Coates
and Craig Bellamy
.
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is the Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
for Liverpool. He has previously worked as a football coach and scout, with AS Monaco, AS Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.
He was born in Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, France, and played as a youth team player at AS Monaco. In 1992, he began a successful three-year coaching job with Monaco, where he looked after the club's Under-16 squads and won the state championship at that level. Comolli completed a law degree in 1995 and gained his French coaching licence.
In 1996 he joined Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and spent seven seasons as a European scout and is credited with the discovery of several of Arsenal's players such as Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré
Kolo Habib Touré is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. Touré is a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City team-mate Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.-Arsenal:...
, Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and Ivory Coast. His natural position is at right back, but he is also used in various other positions. Eboué also holds a Belgian passport.-Early career:...
and Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy is a French footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester City and the France national football team. Though initially right-foot dominant, he primarily plays as a left back that is also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wingback. Clichy is described as a player who...
. Between 2004 and 2005 he was technical director of AS Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
. The club went through a successful period, finishing sixth in the league and reaching the semi-finals of the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. During his time there he also oversaw a number of important first team signings and developed partnerships with junior and amateur clubs, locally, nationally and internationally.
In 2005 he became Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, with overall responsibility for the medical, academy, scouting and club secretarial departments, replacing the outgoing Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen is a former Danish football player and currently sporting director at Hamburger SV. Arnesen was Director of Football at English football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea....
. During his time there he had several disagreements with coach Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
, who, after his departure from Spurs, complained several players had been signed by Comolli without his agreement. He spent three years in the job but with Tottenham performing poorly in 2008-09 and some of Comolli's signings coming in for criticism, he was dismissed in October 2008, along with manager Juande Ramos, assistant Gus Poyet
Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Augusto Gus Poyet Domínguez is a former Uruguay international footballer and current manager of English side Brighton & Hove Albion.During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur....
and first team coach Marcos Álvarez. During his time at Tottenham, Comolli was responsible for Tottenham's policy of signing some of the world's brightest young talents, bringing players such as Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale
Gareth Frank Bale is a Welsh footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Wales national team. Bale began his professional career with Southampton in 2005 and was transferred to Tottenham two years later...
, Alan Hutton
Alan Hutton
Alan Hutton is a Scottish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Scotland national football team.-Rangers:...
, Kevin-Prince Boateng
Kevin-Prince Boateng
Kevin Prince-Boateng , is a German-born Ghanaian footballer, who plays as a Midfielder for Serie A club A.C. Milan. He won nine caps from The Black Stars of Ghana after appearing for Germany's under-15s to their under-21s; he retired from international football on 4 November 2011.-Club career:A...
, Giovani dos Santos
Giovani Dos Santos
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez is a Mexican footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. He can also play as a winger or second striker. Since joining Tottenham, he has had loan spells at Ipswich Town, Galatasaray and Racing de Santander...
, Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt is a Moroccan footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as an Attacking midfielder and can also be used as a winger....
and Younes Kaboul
Younes Kaboul
Younès Kaboul is a French footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. He can also play at right back or in defensive midfield.-Auxerre:...
to the club. Comolli was also responsible for the signings of current Tottenham first-team squad members Luka Modrić
Luka Modric
Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...
, Benoit Assou-Ekotto
Benoît Assou-Ekotto
Benoît Pierre David Assou-Ekotto is a French-born Cameroonian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a left back.-RC Lens:...
, Heurelho Gomes, David Bentley
David Bentley
David Michael Bentley is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United as a winger, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur....
(now at West Ham United on loan), Vedran Ćorluka
Vedran Corluka
Vedran Ćorluka is a Croatian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a defender. He is also a part of the Croatia national team...
and Roman Pavlyuchenko
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Roman Anatolyevich Pavlyuchenko is an footballer who currently plays as a centre forward for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and for the Russian national team.-Spartak Moscow:...
, as well as Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of...
(now at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
).
On 9 November 2008 it was announced that he would return to Saint-Étienne as sporting director. His appointment led to the departure of manager Laurent Roussey
Laurent Roussey
Laurent Roussey is a French former football striker and manager.-External links:* *...
.
On 3 November 2010 his appointment as Director of Football Strategy at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
was announced, with part of his remit being to oversee the recruitment of new players to the club.
Comolli made an instant impact at Liverpool as he was responsible for the signings of two young bright talents, Luis Suárez
Luis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer)
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz , commonly known as Luis Suárez and nicknamed "El Pistolero" , is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team...
and Andy Carroll
Andy Carroll
Andrew Thomas "Andy" Carroll is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team....
, on January 2011's transfer deadline day, with Carroll's signing breaking the record for most expensive British player ever and 8th most expensive player in history, overtaking David Villa
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
and Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
.
On 22 March 2011 Comolli was appointed as the Director of Football at Liverpool.
In an interview Comolli stated it covers pretty much the whole football side of running the football club, although he does not get involved in team training or selection.
In the summer transfer window for the 2011/12 season Comolli has helped Liverpool FC sign Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson
Jordan Brian Henderson is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team as a midfielder. He had a loan spell at Coventry City in 2009. He earned his first international cap for England, having previously played for the under-19, under-20 and...
, Charlie Adam
Charlie Adam
Charles Graham "Charlie" Adam is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liverpool and the Scotland national football team....
, Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool and the England national team. Primarily a winger, Downing has previously played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.-Middlesbrough:...
, Doni
Donieber Alexander Marangon
Doniéber Alexander Marangon , more frequently known as simply Doni, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Liverpool as a goalkeeper. He was born in Jundiaí, São Paulo....
, Jose Enrique
José Enrique
José Enrique is a Spanish given name, may refer to:*José Enrique Arrarás , Puerto Rican politician*José Enrique Bagaria, Spanish pianist*José Enrique Gutiérrez , Spanish cyclist...
, Sebastian Coates
Sebastián Coates
Sebastián Coates Nion is a Uruguayan football player who plays for Liverpool. Uruguayan fans call him Luganito or Little Lugano.-Early life:Coates was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, to a Scottish father and Uruguayan mother....
and Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
.