Barca thinking about Vitor Baia as sporting director replacement

Barça is studying different profiles to replace Mateu Alemany as the club's sporting director. One of the names on the table for his sporting profile is Deco, but there are others who are also highly valued by the board of directors. One of those who is very much liked is Vítor Baía, current vice-president of Porto, who already has an extensive curriculum as a manager behind him, as well as a spell at FC Barcelona as a goalkeeper.

FC Barcelona has studied Baía's career in depth over the last few years in his role as manager and right-hand man of Pinto da Costa, president of Porto. Baía has been sporting vice-president of the club for three years.

He came in with the club living under the noose of UEFA's financial fair-play, unable to do much business and, despite this, the team's potential did not suffer to the point of winning a league in the last two editions. Porto, under Baía as sporting vice-president, managed to get out of fair-play harassment last October and is now in 'freedom', as a financially healthy club after two consecutive years with a positive balance sheet.

Baía, who has a master's degree in sports management, has acquired prestige in Portugal for his work at the helm of the Portuguese club. All of this is highly valued by Barcelona, who also take into account his past as a Barça player and the fact that, since then, he has been a regular participant in FC Barcelona Legends matches.

It is a different profile to Deco, who is more linked to the world of agents and players. Baía is more focused on the management of an entity, precisely what Barça needs at a time when it is trying to reach an agreement with La Liga to reduce the pressure of FFP.