Biography and career of Andrea Berta, Arsenal's new sporting director

Renowned Italian businessman Andrea Berta is well-known in the football world for his extraordinary team management and transfer tactics. Following the departure of Edu Gaspar from Arsenal in November, Berta formally becomes the sporting director for the Premier League contenders. 

Starting in the lower levels of Italian football, Berta's career finally peaked at Atlético Madrid, where he rose to be among the most esteemed sports directors in Europe. His arrival surely gives Arsenal fresh hopes and aspirations. 

Early life

Andrea Berta was born in 1971 in Turin, Italy, a city known for Juventus and Fiat. But unlike the football glory of the city, Berta’s early life has not been well recorded; public documents reveal scant information about his schooling and early employment.

Still, it is clear that his love of the sport started early and developed into a passion that finally drove him to football management. Berta's career path is full of gradual accumulation and continuous innovation, which set a strong basis for his eventual great success at Atlético Madrid.

Career overview: Transformation from grassroots to the pinnacle

Beginning his career in 2002, Berta was hired as sporting director of AC Carpenedolo, an amateur and semi-professional team with extremely low resources and scale. But during this period, Berta showed his outstanding squad development talents and budget management techniques, which saw the team accomplish strong results on a tight budget by precise recruitment and tactical changes.

Though this experience appears regular, it was a crucial starting point for his career.

Berta moved to Parma Calcio 1913 in 2007 to be in the same sporting director capacity. Despite their long history in Serie A, financial problems resulted in Parma suffering demotion in the 2008–09 season.

Under Berta's direction, Parma successfully returned to Serie A in the first season following their relegation, proving his remarkable rebuilding skills and attracting greater interest from other teams.

In 2009, Berta joined Genoa CFC primarily to ensure the club's stability—a task somewhat different from that of his previous clubs.

During his tenure, Genoa stayed competitive in the mid-table of Serie A, neither able to challenge for the championship nor in danger of relegation, therefore imparting Berta with important lessons on how to keep a club competitive with limited resources.

Atlético Madrid: 12 years of glory

Technical director

Berta's career underwent a sea change when he joined Atlético Madrid as technical director in July 2013, a position that totally involved him in the club's recruiting, player development, and tactical planning. He worked alongside José Luis Caminero for the entire duration of this role.

During his four years as technical director (2013-2017), Berta worked closely with head coach Diego Simeone, helping Atletico Madrid achieve substantial development through a succession of precise signings and tactical adjustments.

Spanish forward David Villa joined Rojiblancos in the same month as Berta in the 2013–14 season, helping Atlético Madrid to the La Liga championship by contributing vital goals. Berta was also crucial in the acquisition of future key players Antoine Griezmann and Jan Oblak, whose purchases turned out to be vital for Atlético Madrid's subsequent achievements.

Sporting director

Berta was formally promoted to sporting director in 2017, bearing full responsibility for squad management and club recruitment. His performance as sporting director was simply exceptional in the 2017–18 season, with his signings including Thomas Lemar, João Félix, and Kieran Trippier.

Despite his first year as sporting director being technically a miss with both Lemar and Felix failing to live up to expectations, Atlético won the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup under Berta's direction.

He signed Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo de Paul in the 2020–21 season, who turned out to be indispensable for both Atlético and Argentina.

Having learnt from his earlier failings with big-money transfers, Berta signed Julian Alvarez and Conor Gallagher from the English Premier League just months before his departure from Spain; both players have developed into vital components for Atlético's outstanding performance in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga.

Berta's sale approach is another noteworthy accomplishment at Atlético Madrid, as he is known for his very keen transfer methods, especially in highly profitable deals. For instance, he generated €90 million for the club when he sold Griezmann to Barcelona for €120 million, thus securing the club's profitability.

He similarly masterminded the purchase of Rodri from Villarreal for a meagre €20 million and obtained a net income of €50 million for the club upon his sale to Manchester City for €70 million.

However, Berta's transfer strategy is not without shortcomings. He signed several players at huge transfer costs, including Joao Felix, Vitolo and Thomas Lemar, whose performances all fell short of expectations.

Nevertheless, his general performance has earned widespread acclaim. He received the highest possible honour for his work in 2019 when he won the Globe Soccer Award for Best Sporting Director.

Berta left Atlético Madrid in January 2025 due to strategic differences with the club; his 12 years have surely had a significant effect on the team, and his departure marks the end of an era.

Arsenal period: New challenges and opportunities

Berta officially joins Arsenal in 2025, replacing Edu Gaspar as the sporting director in a choice that has excited supporters.

His first task will be finding a striker for the club in a market with relatively few fit or world-class choices. He will also assist in strengthening the team's drive for a Premier League crown, following two second-place finishes and building on their outstanding 2024/25 Champions League campaign through fresh additions and squad changes.