IHe is one of the most famous coaches in modern football. With his successes in Porto, and then in Monaco and Lille, Luis Campos made a name for himself in clubs where player trading was the basis of the project. If he was able to spot important talents in the ball like Bernardo Silva, Fabinho and Victor Osimhen, the Portuguese now arrives at Paris Saint-Germain with a completely different mission. Appointed as the capital club’s sporting advisor, he will have to form the team that will finally be able to reclaim the Champions League after QSI’s takeover of the club in 2011. After a second era of unfruitful Leonardo, is Luis Campos able to be the architect who will build the success of Paris Saint-Germain on the continental stage?
“The basis of his work is the human eye”
Behind its name, there is above all a method. Too personal. Luis Campos is a perfectionist who leaves nothing to chance when supervising potential recruits. Yassin Hamin, columnist for Club des 5 and Paris United, Deschevere for the point The main principles of the Portuguese leader. There is a real way of its own in several stages. To ensure the correct profile, the player is moderated for 15 matches. If this first step is checked, another explorer will move in to monitor it. After that, a third explorer will also judge whether the player is a good fit. The final verification goes to Campos, who moves himself to see with his own eyes the player being pursued. With this rigorous process, Campos built a solid resume in the footballing world.
The Tweet embed We are pleased to announce that Luis Campos as a Football Consultant has come into effect with immediate effect. ❤️
– Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) June 10, 2022
In its daily operations, it advances even in a restricted circle, with people it trusts to avoid leaks. For the field, Luis Campos prefers travel rather than video summaries. “The basis of his work is the human eye. It studies the player’s behavior when he does not have the ball, when his team loses, when he is in a difficult situation. In some atmospheres, if the target player lowers his arms, you can challenge him”, sums up Yassin Hameend. Thanks to his past as a mentor and coach, Luis Campos has occupied almost every possible position in the world of football, allowing him to gain numerous perspectives on a potential recruit.
At PSG, instant predictions
Portuguese football journalist and commentator Alex de Castro It is believed that Campos’ strong personality allowed him to be a reference today. “He is a person of great character, and he has very strong ideas. If he feels that he cannot function properly, and if he does not have sufficient capabilities, he will not hesitate to leave. On the other hand, if all the conditions are met, he can be stabilized in the long run. »
In his study of profiles, Campos was meticulous and inquires about all possible criteria for agreeing to recruit a player. “Going forward, he studies the player’s entourage, explains Yasin Hamend. Is he married, has children, who is his agent, how is he in everyday life? It is clear that it comes after the pitch, but it is still an important factor. »
It is clear that the question of the Paris project calls: Can Campos adapt to a club of this dimension and increasing pressure? The 57-year-old recruiter will face immediate expectations. “He’s a very smart and competent person,” Alex de Castro says. He can succeed in Paris. After that, he was convinced mainly in clubs where buying and reselling players was the main goal. In Porto, Monaco and Lille, it was every time the same type of project. Now in Paris, it is a completely different standard, we are in the short term, striving for immediate results. Will he be able to put together a team that can respond very quickly on the ground? It is a new challenge for him. »
Luis Campos will form a group of young players made up of the best elements.
The latter will be halfway between the training center and the Paris Saint-Germain first team.
– Hadrian Grenier (@hadrien_grenier) June 15, 2022
Yassin Hamin is showing his optimistic side about the just-starting state of Campos in the capital. “I think it can work here. PSG has to live from marketing and business, Campos is not going to recruit world stars. If we let it work, it could be the perfect compromise. We can take Robert Lewandowski for example, but any players around him can let “His performance? Who are the players who can complete Verratti in the midfield? This is where we will wait for Campos at the corner. He can bring together the stars and the collective.”
Skriniar, Mager, Fofana: Who will be the first recruit in the Campos era?
Question marks remain: What about his dual role as captain at Celta Vigo? Also suspended is the profile of the future coach, which does not seem to fit the aspirations of his superiors. “In the French League there would be no worries, but in the Champions League it remains unknown to Luis Campos, despite his fame. Another concern is his role as a sports consultant, he works from Portugal and will also collaborate at the same time with Celta Vigo. To be 100% in this Parisian project? We even wonder if there is an interest in a shared vision between the two camps when we see the future coach question. Doha absolutely wants Zidane, while Campos is campaigning for Gallitier. He doesn’t start on a better foundation.”
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While waiting for the lucky winner to be appointed to the Parisian seat, Luis Campos got his act together. Several names were filtered through the press as profiles followed by the Portuguese recruit: Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan), Gianluca Scamaca (Sassuolo), Lovro Mager (Rennes) or even Seko Fofana (RC Lens). His compatriot Antero Henrique will also take part in the project. It remains to be seen if this tandem, which has made Porto the pinnacle of club, will allow PSG to see its European dreams come true. “We were in the shadows at Porto Campos: the one who collected all the light was Antero Henrique. But when Luis Campos first left the club, we immediately felt a drop in skills. In terms of buying, reselling and target players, everyone praised his good work”, concludes Alex De Castro. In any case, the big summer project got off to a good start in the capital.
