Newcastle United appoint new technical director in major restructure at St James’ Park
NUFC have made a new director appointment - and his role will be to further help Eddie Howe.
Newcastle United have announced Sudharsan Gopaladesikan as the club’s new technical director.
A new role, Gopaladesikan - known as “Suds” - will not replace Paul Mitchell, who left his position on the Toon hierarchy last month. Instead, he will report to a yet-to-be-appointed sporting director and focus on data and analytics across the club.
Gopaladesikan joins the Magpies from Atalanta and will work closely with Eddie Howe and his backroom team. He also enjoyed a similar role at Benfica, where they won the league and reached the quarter-final of the Champions League.
Speaking to the club website, Gopaladesikan backed himself to give Newcastle a “competitive edge” while praising the passionate Toon fan base. The Magpies have made their first power play at boardroom level in what is understood to be a major restructure at St James’ Park.
“I’m delighted and honoured to be joining Newcastle United as Technical Director,” he said. “Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with clubs that have deeply passionate fanbases, and Newcastle stands out for its unique connection between the team, the city, and its supporters.
“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.”
Newcastle United appoint new director - statement in full
Newcastle United have appointed Sudarshan Gopaladesikan as the club’s Technical Director.
Reporting into a new Sporting Director, Sudarshan – known as Suds – will lead the club’s football data operations, working closely with Eddie Howe and his coaching staff and the club’s performance, medical, analysis, methodology and recruitment teams.
His role will be dedicated to implementing data-informed practices across all sporting departments throughout men’s, women’s and Academy teams.
Suds joins the Magpies after leaving Italian side Atalanta BC, where he was Director of Football Intelligence. During his time in Bergamo, Atalanta secured three consecutive top five finishes in Serie A, won the UEFA Europa League and reached a Coppa Italia final.
Prior to his move to Italy, he was Head of Sports Data Science at Portuguese side SL Benfica. In his five seasons in Lisbon, Benfica’s men's team won the Primeira Liga title and 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 reached the UEFA Youth League final twice and won the 2021/22 edition of the tournament.
Outside of his club experience, Suds lectures for FIFA’s Executive Education programmes and the PFA Business School on data-driven decision making. Suds said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be joining Newcastle United as Technical Director. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with clubs that have deeply passionate fanbases, and Newcastle stands out for its unique connection between the team, the city, and its supporters.
“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.”