Carlos Cuesta leaves Parma following major project disagreements. Let's talk about this. Because football is heading in the wrong direction, and people from inside the game should start talking about it. The vast majority of clubs in the world don't have real alignment between ownership, the sporting director and the coach. And very often, the chain breaks with the owner. “I put the money in, so I decide.” I have experienced this myself as a player, and I have spoken to many coaches who have worked in big leagues. It is not a surprise to hear stories about owners deciding line-ups, influencing recruitment or choosing signings. It has always happened, but with the increasing corporatization of football, it feels like it has potentially become even more common. We have left the game in the hands of people who simply want to make a business out of it, with very little connection to what football actually represents: a village, a fanbase, a culture, a history. With very little understanding of how complex football really is. If I buy a restaurant and know nothing about food or how to run a restaurant, I probably wouldn't buy one. But if I did, I certainly wouldn't get involved in the kitchen or tell the chef how to prepare the dishes. I would focus on recruiting people who are very good at what they do, give them the resources they need, and trust them. And the irony is that even if your only objective is to make money, interfering constantly in areas you don't understand is probably a very poor business strategy. Because of this, there are clubs succeeding simply because there is alignment between the coach, sporting director and ownership. Their model might not be particularly good. They might not even have what I consider the best strategy in terms of game model or recruitment. They succeed because the rest are so poorly run. In many other businesses, this wouldn't be enough. But in football, simply having consistency and not constantly changing direction can already give you a huge advantage. Honestly, I think one of the best things you can do in football is find the right people to work with. If you are a coach, be aligned with your sporting director and ownership. If you are not, maybe you should leave or not take the job in first place, because sooner or later, you will probably fail. If you are a coach or sporting director, work with a resignation letter in your pocket. Either we work in alignment and respect each other's positions, or we shouldn't work together. Easier said than done, but people inside the game need to start earning some respect. Remember Bielsa leaving clubs during preseason because the club didn't bring him what had been promised. Football fans should know more about what goes on inside their clubs. When there are cases of people acting improperly, conflicts of interest, or practices that go against the rules or the interests of the club, they should be investigated and made public faster. People inside the game need to start speaking openly about these things. We shouldn't be afraid to discuss how football actually works simply because it might affect our next job. If someone doesn't want to hire you because you speak honestly and openly about the problems you see in football, maybe that's a good filter. They probably aren't the right people to work with. If nobody stops this, coaches will increasingly become nothing more than toys for owners. The best strategy for any coach or sports director is to find the right people to work with. Invest time in finding them. Ask around. Understand how they work. Make sure your roles are clear. Work with alignment. Trust the people around you. And ultimately, enjoy your daily work. This is not simply my opinion. It comes from countless conversations with people inside the game who are tired of the circus football is becoming. People who love football, work in football and are increasingly frustrated by the way the game is being run behind the scenes.