Florent Ghisolfi insists pragmatic squad building drives continental ambitions on Wearside.
Sunderland host AZ Alkmaar tonight. The fixture marks their Europa League group stage debut.
The sporting director previously engineered similar top-flight stability at RC Lens. He navigated successive seventh-place finishes in France before securing second place. Now, working alongside head coach Régis Le Bris, the executive prioritises core domestic stability.
Maintaining Core Club Identity In Europe
Speaking to The Northern Echo, Ghisolfi outlined his expectations ahead of tonight’s match.
“We won’t ask to win or to draw, we will ask only to be Sunderland, to be connected with our crowd, and just to be proud at the end. This is our philosophy at the moment.”
The executive noted that finishing seventh last season should not create undue pressure. His recruitment strategy focuses on specific profiles to execute this vision. Integrating targets like Juan Angulo remains crucial to long-term success.
Disciplined Summer Transfer Strategy Discussed
During a separate interview with alovesupreme, the sporting director stressed the importance of club culture.
“The identity is in the centre of everything.”
He explained that this disciplined architecture ensures the squad can manage multiple demanding competitions. With senior figures chasing individual European dreams, the dressing room possesses significant continental experience.
Sunderland must now finalise their matchday preparations before facing AZ Alkmaar.
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