RomaPress – Roma officially unveiled their new General Manager, Tiago Pinto, yesterday afternoon as they welcome the Portuguese executive from Benfica.
There’s no doubting that Pinto’s appointment was a huge surprise as no media outlets had him linked with the post in the Italian capital. Even more curiously, Roma have altered the name of the role from the typical “Direttore Generale (DG)” or “Direttore Tecnico (DT)” to a much more “American” title: “General Manager”.
There were rumors from those close to The Friedkin Group that another individual or director could be appointed to work alongside Pinto, however, sources close to the situation deny this and claim that Pinto will be the reference point of the club’s sporting area.
As for Pinto’s arrival, Roma finalised the three-year deal for the 36 year-old on 31 October, the day before their victory over Fiorentina. Roma President Dan Friedkin, Marc Watts, the right hand man of Friedkin and a Board Member of the Giallorossi, and Vice President Ryan Friedkin flew one of their private jets from Rome to Lisbon. The three met with Pinto and were also joined via videoconference by one of the top attorneys from The Friedkin Group.
After having met for nearly four hours, a total agreement was reached between Roma and Pinto, who departs Benfica after eight seasons.
