Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
Related Articles
Ex-Arsenal FC midfielder and current Panathinaikos Technical Director, Gilberto Silva, will speak at the upcoming Soccerex Global Convention from September 26-28 in Manchester. Gilberto will be joining Edwin van der Sar, Alain Belsoeur and Gerard Houllier to discuss “Academies: A Foundation for Success” with the panelists sharing their extensive experience on player development and the role academies play in the strategic and commercial development of football clubs. The former midfielder will also be part of a session looking at football’s global responsibility, detailing the work he does as an ambassador for Street Child United and how football can have such a positive impact on young people’s lives.
Gilberto’s glittering career started at América Mineiro, officially becoming a full time professional at the age of 21. In 2002, Gilberto made the switch to England, signing for Arsenal in a deal worth £4.5m. He then went on to become an integral part of the famous Invincibles squad that won the Premier League title in the 2003-2004 season, going unbeaten in the league, as well as winning 2 further FA Cups and Community Shield trophies during his time in England.
Alongside his club career, Gilberto also made 93 appearances for his country including playing every minute of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup campaign, a tournament that his nation went on to eventually win. Gilberto was seen as a vital asset in the team and earned praise from many of the game’s big names, labelled as the unsung hero within the Brazilian ranks. Despite being the defensive anchor in midfield, the player was not short of attacking intent, setting up Ronaldo’s semi final goal that put Brazil through to the World Cup Final.
Now retired, Gilberto has undertaken the role of Technical Director at Panathinaikos, a team he made 78 appearances for over a three year spell at the club towards the end of his career.
During the Academy session Gilberto is involved in, the Brazilian will talk about his experiences of player development from his playing career alongside his new role at the Greek club, his take on the role of academies in football, and how they can help define a clubs culture. The session will see 4 senior figures in world football dissect the structures, resources and management required to form an academy that delivers success on every level.
Gilberto will also be in the Love Football Zone, new for 2016, discussing his involvement with Street Child United, for whom he is a Global Ambassador. The organisation strives to provide a worldwide platform for street children to have their voices heard and change the way they are treated, and they aim to do this through the power of sport. The company runs events such as the Street Child World Cup, which unites former street children across the world to represent their country and also the millions of young people still living on the streets. During the session, Gilberto will be speaking about the good work done by the organisation in recent years, and will be joined by John Wroe, the Founder and CEO of Street Child United.
Gilberto will be contributing to the thought provoking conference programme at the Soccerex Global Convention 2016, designed to deliver unique business insight across a variety of key sectors and subject matters ranging from sponsorship and fan engagement to technological innovations and stadium development.
