River Plate Targets Two High-Profile Candidates for Sporting Director Role

Buenos Aires — Club Atlético River Plate has formally opened a strategic search to overhaul its football operations, with the club’s hierarchy zeroing in on two internationally respected executives to fill the vacant sporting director position, according to reporting by The Athletic.

Ramón Planes, currently serving as sporting director at Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad, and Pablo Longoria, the former president of Ligue 1 outfit Olympique de Marseille, have emerged as the leading contenders. River’s leadership has already initiated preliminary discussions with both men to sound out their interest and to hear their respective visions for the Núñez institution.

Planes arrives with a deep résumé forged in European football, most notably during his tenure at FC Barcelona, where he played a key role in squad planning and recruitment. Longoria, meanwhile, has earned a reputation for a modern, aggressive approach to the transfer market during his time in France, overseeing a series of high-impact deals that reshaped Marseille’s roster.

While Planes and Longoria sit atop River’s shortlist, sources indicate that at least one additional candidate remains under consideration, though that individual’s identity has yet to be disclosed. The club is prioritizing a profile that blends global market experience with a proven ability to reinforce both the first team and the youth academy, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talent ahead of future domestic and international campaigns.

River Plate’s pursuit of a new sporting architect signals a deliberate effort to modernize its football structure and return to the summit of South American competition.