Marc Vivés has been chosen by FC Barcelona for the difficult task of taking over from Markel Zubizarreta as head of the sports management of its women's section. He was in charge of the sports management of the Catalan Federation between 2015 and 2018, where he coincided with Lluís Cortés, Natalia Arroyo and Jonatan Giráldez. Precisely, the current first team coach considers Vivés his “professional father”, since it was he who gave him his first opportunity in Barcelona, hiring him for the lower categories of the Catalan women's team. There he would also meet Lluís Cortés, with whom he would make the jump to FC Barcelona.
Well regarded by those who have worked with him, this 48-year-old from Barcelona stands out for his professionalism and extensive training. In addition, Vivés also has experience in the elite. He was technical director of the Japanese Vissel Kobe youth football team, where he became the team's second coach, even leading Andrés Iniesta's team on an interim basis for four games. And the new Blaugrana sports director, whose contract duration has not yet been revealed, also has experience on the bench. He has the UEFA Pro title and in addition to being an assistant coach at Kobe for two seasons, he was also an assistant in the men's youth categories of both the Spanish and Catalan national teams.
Vivés's great handicap is her lack of experience in women's football, although it is true that there are not many profiles like that of Markel Zubizarreta, with extensive knowledge of all national and international footballers. His departure was confirmed at the end of September and Domènec Guasch assumed his duties temporarily, although it seemed that he would be chosen to occupy the position. Finally, the club has opted for Vivés: “A football professional from the elite, an academic and at the same time a football researcher with a long career in which over the last twenty years he has formed a profile that the entity has "I understand that it fits perfectly with the needs I was looking for," explains the club. Guasch will remain in the women's organizational chart, as well as the majority of the group that worked with Markel Zubizarreta.
Since leaving Vissel Kobe and joining the Blaugrana project, Marc Vivés served as a personal coach at a tactical level for high-performance players. He now inherits the best Barça in history and faces the difficult challenge of maintaining the competitive level of one of the best teams in the world. And, as if that were not enough, Vivés must immediately face key renewals for the Catalan team such as those of Alexia Putellas, Mapi León and Mariona Caldentey, who expire in June; as well as ensuring the continuity of the new Ballon d'Or winner, Aitana Bonmatí, with a contract until 2025.
