The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has appointed Manolo Zubiria of Spain as its Chief Football Officer, effective June 26.
Zubiria, 39, will lead the division of Football Operations, providing overall management and execution of CONCACAF’s tournaments, major events as well as development programs.
The position was created as part of CONCACAF’s recent re-organization to build a stronger, efficient organization focused on investing in growing regional soccer.
Zubiria joins CONCACAF from AS Roma, where he spent the last four seasons as head of Team Operations. His tenure at Roma was marked by operational improvements and competitive success, which included three-second place finishes in Serie A and qualification to the UEFA Champions League in three of his four seasons.
Previously, he served as CONCACAF’s Director of Competitions and Director of Marketing and TV. His first involvement in football was at the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
“I am honored to take on this truly important role as the Chief of Football Officer at CONCACAF,” said Zubiria. “The Confederation is poised for greater growth. I look forward to working closely with our council as well as the 41 member associations to develop a solid and sustainable football strategy that leverages the organization’s operational capabilities and opportunities more effectively.”
Zubiria succeeds Ted Howard, who was the interim Chief of Football Officer.
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