Those seeking a brief guide to the principles that underpin Edu Gaspar’s approach to football administration could do worse than paying attention to one of his favourite anecdotes.



It dates back to his time as a player for Arsenal and the moment when, in a deeply uncharacteristic display of impetuosity, he dragged his manager out of a meeting to complain about being dropped.



A man less patient than Arsene Wenger might have dusted off the hairdryer. Instead, Edu was presented with a series of statistics, read from a notebook, detailing his workload over the previous weeks and illustrating his declining fitness levels late in games. The Brazilian’s rage subsided. By the time Wenger had finished, his embarrassment had twisted into a knot in the depths of his stomach.



“I was questioning his judgment and he gave me a tutorial in simplicity, information and conviction,” Edu explained at a conference in 2017. “That solidity is an...