The architect of the best Barça in history, Markel Zubizarreta, has been chosen by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to regenerate the women’s football department as its new director. An area that needed a profound restructuring, demanded by the footballers for a long time. For more than seven years, Jorge Vilda combined the position of coach with that of sports director of all women’s football in the Federation. A practice discouraged by UEFA itself in its program of minimum standards for women’s national teams.
Son of the legendary goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, Markel has made a career in law firms, earning the recognition of agents and footballers from all over the world. His discretion and sincerity stand out about him. “If he gives you his word, you can be sure he won’t deceive you,” say those who have worked with him.
Little friend of the press, he barely gives interviews and prefers to maintain a discreet profile. In the offices he is not only a reputed manager, he is also an example of that professionalism that the footballers demanded in the structure of the Federation. The internationals not only welcome his incorporation, but were his main endorsement in his appointment. Zubizarreta traveled to Oliva (Valencia) when the crisis with the Federation broke out to mediate in the negotiations that ended with the return of the majority of the international players to the national team and with the Federation’s commitment to implement improvements.
Markel Zubizarreta arrived at FC Barcelona in 2015, when the women’s section became professional, and just four years later the team was already playing in its first Champions League final. Hers is the merit of signings like Lieke Martens or Keira Walsh and she even managed to keep the signing of a world figure like Lucy Bronze a secret, another example of how comfortable she feels working in the shadows.
