Newcastle United Appoint Sudarshan Gopaladesikan as Technical Director

As part of Newcastle United's long-term restructuring project, the club has confirmed the appointment of Sudarshan Gopaladesikan, also known as 'Suds,' as its Technical Director. This appointment of a fresh Newcastle Technical Director follows the departure of Paul Mitchell, who left the club by mutual consent at the end of May, less than a year after joining the Premier League side. Mitchell was assigned the task of modernising the football structure, but his exit paved the way for Gopaladesikan’s arrival.

Sudarshan Gopaladesikan Reacts After Becoming Newcastle Technical Director

Sudarshan Gopaladesikan was delighted after securing the Technical Director position at Newcastle United. Referring to his new job, Suds said, “I'm excited to work alongside the club's talented staff to identify what helps give us a competitive edge. Most of all, I'm looking forward to experiencing the incredible matchday atmosphere at St. James' Park and being part of this proud football family and community.”

Gopaladesikan will supervise the club’s football data operations across all sporting departments, including men's, women's, and Academy teams. He will work closely with manager Eddie Howe and his coaching staff, as well as personnel from various departments such as performance, medical, analysis, methodology, and recruitment.

Sudarshan’s arrival as the Newcastle Technical Director marks the beginning of a data-driven, high-performance club capable of competing at the top end of the Premier League and in Europe. With his expertise in analytics and elite football, he is expected to play a central role in recruitment, player development, and restructuring the club in collaboration with Eddie Howe.

Newcastle Technical Director Past Working Experience

Sudarshan Gopaladesikan joins the Magpies as the Newcastle Technical Director, having served as the Director of Football Intelligence at the Italian side Atalanta BC for the past three years. During his tenure at Atalanta, Sudarshan secured three consecutive top-five finishes in Serie A, won the UEFA Europa League, and reached the Coppa Italia final.

Sudarshan also served as the Head of Sports Data Science at Portuguese side SL Benfica for five years before his move to Italy. Throughout his five seasons in Lisbon, Benfica's men's team achieved massive success. They not only won the Primeira Liga title but also reached the quarter-finals of both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, while Benfica's women's team won two national titles. Meanwhile, Benfica's academy made remarkable progress by reaching the UEFA Youth League final twice and winning the 2021/22 season.

Additionally, outside of football club experience, the newly appointed Newcastle Technical director, Sudarshan Gopaladesikan, also lectures for FIFA's Executive Education programmes and the PFA Business School, focusing on data-driven decision making. His career boasts extensive and innovative data-driven, cutting-edge work in football and player development, making him a promising appointment for contributing to Newcastle's growth.