According to Diario AS, Deco, FC Barcelona's sporting director, believes in intuition and intangible factors in football more than big data, and has built a team quietly in his own style.

Anderson Luis de Souza was born on August 27, 1977. At home, he was called "Decozinho," but his uncle shortened it to "Deco," a name he has used ever since. Deco first joined FC Barcelona as a "Brazil specialist" after Laporta's return as president in 2021. His future at the club was largely sealed, and in August 2023, he officially became FC Barcelona's sporting director.

At that time, some at the club said "he came with power." Deco had warned Laporta that if he were to lead the sporting department in the future, Mateu Alemany would not keep his position. After Alemany lost some authority due to his mishandling of the Dembélé situation and rumours about links to Aston Villa, Deco replaced him, becoming the "Brazil-Portugal" sporting director.

Deco has shown the characteristics of a traditional sporting director once again. He is someone who believes in football intuition more and does not rely on big data. For him, data is used to support decision-making only, not to override intuition, on-field performance, and intangible factors such as dressing room atmosphere.

Deco knows the dressing room well, and building a strong team has been his passion throughout his career. Since his arrival, FC Barcelona has renewed contracts with several key players, including Gundogan, Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, De Jong, Balde, Pedri, Gavi, Raphinha, Fermin, Bernal, and Yamal. Building at academy level is crucial, and he has found alignment with Flick on this, as Flick has created a vibrant and modern FC Barcelona.

Human factors also play a key role. One reason Szczesny is in the squad is exactly this. The Polish goalkeeper was signed on loan after Ter Stegen's injury and featured in the 2024-25 season; he stayed on largely because he can serve as a connector in the dressing room, helping manage players' emotions and support Yamal's development.

FC Barcelona's most valuable asset is its young players, but Deco always seeks the right balance. He sees this quality in Erico, Raphinha, and Rodri: they not only have football talent but also excellent personal qualities.

Deco is not a sporting director with a history of being a "data expert" who spends all day in an office looking at Excel sheets. His only similar role was with the Gabon Football Federation. His working style relies on intuition and a broad network of relationships accumulated throughout his long career. Surprisingly, José Mourinho has had significant influence on his career. Although the two are not as close as before, they have maintained their relationship for many years.

Deco retired in 2013 and then began working with Jorge Mendes, founding his own agency, D20 Sports. Raphinha gradually developed under this company. Deco eventually transformed what some saw as a self-serving signing into a cornerstone of the team, and this arrangement materialized when he began working with FC Barcelona.

Deco has a close relationship with Bojan, who has been assigned to work more closely with young players. In summer 2025, Deco brought in João Pedro Amaral as head scout. As the division of labour became clearer, Deco took charge of key structural operations, while Amaral leads future-focused initiatives.

Vítor Roque was a player Deco signed for €30 million but ultimately failed to meet expectations. However, Deco adapted quickly, sending him back to Palmeiras for a fee nearly equal to the initial investment. In summer 2024, Deco spent €61 million to sign Dani Olmo, a successful signing. In July 2025, he made an excellent effort to sign Joan García, the first player in 30 years to move from Espanyol to FC Barcelona, for just €26 million.

Outsiders underestimate Deco's understanding of financial fair play, but he is very good with numbers. In his first three years in the role, FC Barcelona's financial accounts were in excellent health, showing a positive balance of over €100 million.

The situation changed this season. Deco was aware that FC Barcelona had returned to the "1:1" rule, but faced the prospect of new constraints next season due to the return to Montjuïc. So he increased investment: Gundogan €80 million, Rodri €60 million, Adeyemi €22 million, Gabriel Jesus €10 million, Bissuma €8.5 million, Lewandowski €2 million, and Hamsah €1.5 million.

FC Barcelona also generated revenue from player sales, including Ferran €48 million, Ansu Fati €11 million, Tommy Maguire €11 million, Fort €8.5 million, and Iñaki Peña €3 million.

FC Barcelona signed Mikael Bazza and Mierza Katowicz on the final day of the transfer window. With internal structural adjustments, management of FC Barcelona B changed from the previous team led by Alejo, head of the youth academy, to Amaral. Deco's new approach is to identify talented young players and invest early, with Hamsah and Bissuma as primary targets this season.

The La Masia project has also been reorganised. The youth system, represented by Xavi Simons, remains the top priority for FC Barcelona's senior squad. However, FC Barcelona is no longer afraid to let young players leave. Maguire and Fort are examples; the club sold them while retaining some control rights.

Deco was questioned by Laporta's opponents in the early stages of his tenure. Víctor Font directly accused him of lying in signing Vítor Roque, and it was widely believed that his appointment was related to his personal relationship with Laporta and Alejandro Echevarría, who had also brought Deco to the Gabon Football Federation.

However, Deco has earned respect. He is serious and willing to speak his mind one-on-one, just as he did as a player. Deco has consistently tied his stay at FC Barcelona to Laporta's presidency, and because of this, he is aware that his plans have a limited timeframe—possibly until 2031 at the longest, when he will be 54 years old.

There are rumours that if Flick leaves, Cesc is a coach Deco greatly admires. Deco has a large family and returns to Brazil whenever possible. He is not particularly attached to this position. He enjoys his current work because the demands he set when he arrived have been met: power, trusted personnel, and a quiet way of conducting transfers.

Deco is skilled at communicating with journalists and enjoys discussing football, maintaining good relations with them. However, he also knows how to protect his private space. He rarely feels much pressure because he has confidence in himself. Simply put, Deco has built a distinctive personal brand for himself.

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