AC Monza have appointed former West Ham and Sassuolo midfielder Pedro Obiang as their new sporting director, bringing his 16-year playing career to an end as he begins his first role in club management.
The club confirmed the move after Obiang’s final season as a player, during which he helped Monza return to Serie A. The 34-year-old made 36 appearances and scored two goals in the campaign.
According to Monza’s official statement, last season, in which Obiang “helped the biancorossi return to Serie A with 36 appearances and 2 goals, was Obiang’s final season as a player.”
The Brianza-based club described his move into the sporting director’s role as “a new and exciting challenge proposed to him by the Brianza-based club, which he is ready to take on with the same charisma, professionalism and dedication that have defined every stage of his career.”
Obiang’s appointment gives him responsibility away from the pitch for the first time after a career that began in the academy at Sampdoria. Born in Alcala de Henares, he progressed through the Italian club’s youth system before making his senior debut in 2010.
He went on to make more than 100 appearances for the Genoa-based side, establishing himself in Italian football before moving to England.
In 2015, Obiang joined West Ham for a fee of around €6m. He spent four years in east London and scored the club’s goal of the season in 2017-18, with his strike coming against Tottenham.
A €7.5m transfer to Sassuolo followed in 2019. Obiang remained with the club for six seasons, a spell that included their Serie B title-winning campaign.
He then moved to Monza on a free transfer last summer, and helped the club secure its return to Serie A during his last season as a footballer. His performances in that campaign preceded the decision to move him into a senior off-field position at the club.
Obiang represented Spain at youth level before changing his international allegiance. He later played for Equatorial Guinea at senior level.
His transition to sporting director marks a new phase in a career that has taken him from Sampdoria’s academy to senior football in Italy and England, before ultimately returning him to Italy with Sassuolo and Monza.
Monza said Obiang was ready to approach the role with the same professionalism and dedication that had characterised his career as a player. The appointment therefore brings continuity between his time on the pitch and his new responsibilities within the club’s management structure.
