Andrea Berta, Arsenal's new sporting director, with a reputation for making miracles | OneFootball

The Italian’s arrival is a bold change to the norm from Arsenal, but they bring in a man with a midas touch

The story goes that when Andrea Berta told his mother he was leaving his steady job in a bank to work in football, she almost fainted.

Berta is today one of the top executives in football after landing the job of Arsenal’s new sporting director, but his journey began with a roll of the dice and in far smaller surroundings.

Around 20 years ago, he left behind his career at a bank in Brescia to start working for Carpenedolo as a sporting director following a call from local businessman Tommaso Ghirardi.

Under Berta’s watch, the semi-professional side - from a town with a population of just 12,000 - climbed all the way to the fourth tier of Italian football.

Italian press have taken to calling him ‘milagroso Berta’, which translates as ‘Miraculous Berta’

“He had an impressive database with notes on all the players in northern Italy,” Enrico Viola, Carpenedolo’s vice-president from back then, told Marca.

“Not just their game and statistics, but their character, profession, family (before signing someone, he would speak to their father, their brother). This is normal in modern football today, but 20 years ago and at the amateur level it wasn’t.”

Berta has enjoyed a remarkable rise since then, and some in the Italian press have even taken to calling him ‘milagroso Berta’, which translates as ‘Miraculous Berta’.

Since starting out at Carpenedolo, he has worked at Parma, Genoa and, most recently over the past 12 years, Atletico Madrid.

The Italian’s style and work ethic, however, has not changed. People from Brescia and the north of Italy are renowned for being hard workers and Berta falls into that category.

Those who have dealt with the 53-year-old describe him as a tough, no-nonsense character, who keeps his cards close to his chest. Berta is not one for interviews and prefers for his actions to do the talking.

“I chose this way, since I’ve been in Spain it’s been my line,” he told Corriere della Sera during his time at Atletico when they tried to speak to him.

Alvaro Morata with Andrea Berta

AFP via Getty Images

The Italian does not like the spotlight, and one of the few times he was in it came against Manchester City three years ago.

A heated exchange between both sides at the end of their Champions League quarter-final appeared to show Berta slapping a member of City staff.

In the brewing rivalry between Arsenal and City, at least Berta has already nailed his colours to the mast.

Over the years, Berta’s way of working when it comes to recruitment has remained the same. He continues to study players’ actions, both on and off the field, before striking deals.

Part of that was driven by Atletico boss Diego Simeone, but Berta has always liked to know everything about a player’s character ever since his days working at Carpenedolo.

“Not the best player, but the right player” is a motto that succinctly describes how he works.

How Berta gels with Arteta is one of the most intriguing elements of his appointment. The Italian is a different character from that of his predecessor, Edu, who had an expressive and outgoing personality.

Berta, however, enjoyed a strong relationship with Simeone at Atletico. Indeed, it is said that when Paris Saint-Germain courted Berta a few years back, it was Simeone who persuaded him to stay.

“Not the best player, but the right player” is a motto that succinctly describes how he works

PSG are not the only club to have tried to poach Berta in the past, with Manchester United one of those routinely linked with hiring the Italian.

Arteta should like Berta’s work ethic and no-nonsense character - and also the fact that he is keen on players having the right attitude. Arteta is famed for his non-negotiables, and new signings must buy into the culture he has created at Arsenal.

Berta has been learning English, but speaks fluent Spanish - which will also help build his relationship with Arteta.

The fact that Berta spent 12 years at Atletico, with a demanding character like Simeone, should stand him in good stead for his time in north London.

Berta first joined Atletico in 2013 as part of their international scouting department before becoming technical director. In 2017, he rose to the role of sporting director.

The club had great success in that time, winning the Copa del Rey, two league titles, the Spanish Super Cup, the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup. They also reached the Champions League final twice.

Berta had a good track record with signings during that period - the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Rodri were brought in under his watch.

Andrea Berta’s successor, Edu, with Mikel Arteta

REUTERS

Multiple people are involved in transfers at Atletico, just like at Arsenal, so it is hard to pinpoint who was behind what deals.

Berta, however, is said to have been instrumental in Atletico’s move for Jan Oblak in 2014 when others were pushing for the club to sign Keylor Navas. Oblak has gone on to become, arguably, the best goalkeeper in the world.

Berta was tasked with signing players tailored to Simeone’s style, which has similarities to that of Arteta.

The Italian also worked with a tight budget - excluding the summer just gone on - and he made the most of limited resources. From 2015 to 2024, Atletico Madrid’s net spend was less than the likes of Crystal Palace and Wolves.

The challenge for Berta is replicating the success he had at Atletico at a new club and league.

It is a bold appointment by Arsenal and one out of kilter with their usual approach. So often when it comes to hires, the club have promoted from within or appointed people with a connection to Arsenal.

It is a bold appointment by Arsenal, one out of kilter with their usual approach and coming at a vital time

Berta arrives as an outside voice and with a big reputation.

“We remain focused on our strategy and winning major trophies,” said Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke on the day Edu resigned. “Our succession plan will reflect this continued ambition.”

The hiring of Berta certainly is an ambitious one and it comes at a vital time for Arsenal and their project under Arteta.

Since the FA Cup win in 2020, the club have not won a major trophy and the pressure is growing for that to change.

Much of the squad - such as the likes of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba - are coming into their prime and the foundations are in place.

The challenge is to take that final step, and the hope is Berta can be the man to make Arsenal do it.