Aston Villa’s new President of Business Operations, Francesco Calvo, has given his first interview at the club since taking up his position, and has covered a number of key topics.
The announcement for Calvo’s appointment came in June, as he replaces Chris Heck in the key position at the club after the American oversaw an important period of growth off the pitch during his time with us.
READ MORE: Positive development touted in crucial contract talks with influential Villa ace
That said, he wasn’t an entirely popular figure due to some of the decisions made, but Villa have made progress from a business and commercial perspective to ensure we continue to grow and help support our improvement on the pitch.
In turn, Calvo will have a pivotal role to play in that process moving forward, and he spoke to VillaTV about his settling-in period while outlining key points over what it will take to ensure that he makes a positive impact at Villa.
Calvo on learning about the club and due diligence ahead of job
“I’ve found everything very exciting. I arrived here a bit in advance of when I was supposed to be here because I wanted to discover the city, to discover the club and to start getting to know the people and understanding the culture of the club. I’ve been visiting around Birmingham and the midlands, trying to understand where I’m arriving because I want to know everything properly in order to start in the right way.
“I’ve been trying to educate myself as much as I can about the region and about the club because I think the sooner I will be able to understand the club, its fans and the people working at the club, the better I will be able to perform.”
Calvo on Monchi, helping football department succeed
“I worked with Monchi for a short stint at Roma and we enjoyed working together a lot. I think that there isn’t a leading department at the club – we need to work together, helping one another. It’s very important that we work as one club because Aston Villa is more important than any of us. How Aston Villa has been developing on and off the pitch, on the pitch under the leadership of Unai, Monchi and Damian, what has been achieved so far is quite unbelievable given the short amount of time. My focus will be to support the three of them and support the football department of Aston Villa in order to make it an even more successful club.
“The owners have a very clear ambition to build the club every day, to make the club sustainable and lasting for the long-term. It’s admirable how determined they are to improve the club every day. That’s what I’ve been asked to do and what I will try to do every single day.”
Calvo on being transparent, relationship with the Villa fans
“I try to be open and transparent because I think that’s key to working properly with people. It’s not going to be a one-man show with me – I’m a director of an orchestra. My ultimate responsibility is to put everybody in the best possible position to deliver. I will try to support the others and dialogue, for me, will be extremely important.
“I know very well that in English football, the clubs are deeply connected with their communities and with their fans. That’s extremely important for me, for all the club and also for the owners – they’re fully aware of that. An open and transparent approach, for me, will be key, and I know very well what the fans represent to the club and what the club represents to them. We’ll do our best to develop the club and to build a strong and further relationship with the fans. I know, probably, we will not always agree or they will not always agree with us, but if we’re able to explain and be open, transparent and explain our decisions, that will be very useful to build a long-lasting relationship with them.
“The longer-term goal is to make the club successful 360 degrees. On the pitch, we have the right people to make it successful. Off the pitch, for me, is building on the foundations of the club and the hard work that has been done over the past seven years. The club has been growing a lot and now it’s about consolidating and optimising everything on the job in order to build something which is sustainable and solid for the long-term.”
There’s no doubt that Calvo is well spoken, a good communicator and a likeable character, and he certainly made some interesting points while emphasising key issues that Villa fans will have wanted to hear him discuss.
As he noted, there is no way that all of his decisions will be popular but they will be made with the best interests of the club in mind, and so it’s hoped that a balance can be found to address the concerns of the supporters, while continuing to ensure that we become a more competitive club on and off the pitch.
His comments on Unai Emery and the football department were also reassuring as we undoubtedly need synergy and good relationships across the board to ensure we’re driving forward with the same goals and objectives in mind.
With his experience, know-how and relationships across European football, it will hopefully prove to be an excellent appointment from the Villa owners, and given the progress and positive work that they’ve done throughout their tenure thus far, few will be better placed to know who the best people for the jobs are, and so hopefully we’ll see further progression in the coming years under Calvo’s stewardship.
Want more Villa analysis? TalkVilla+ will be launched later this summer. Subscribe below for ad-free exclusive articles, content, podcasts and much more. More details to follow…Up The Villa!
