Following the news that AFC Bournemouth first-team technical director Richard Hughes will be leaving the Cherries at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, AFC Bournemouth have been quick to announce that he will be replaced in the role by former AFC Bournemouth captain Simon Francis.
After his retirement from professional football, Simon Francis weighed up his options before initially joining the recruitment department at the Cherries before moving on to accept the role as assistant first-team technical director supporting Richard Hughes during the summer of 2021.
When he was initially released as a player, Francis had been offered a role as part of then AFC Bournemouth manager Jason Tindall’s backroom team, however, Francis opted to turn this down as he hadn’t quite made up his mind on retirement at this stage.
During his time in this role, AFC Bournemouth have won promotion from the Championship under Scott Parker, avoided relegation from the Premier League under Gary O’Neil and are now looking to progress in the top flight of English football under Andoni Iraola.
Francis told afcb.co.uk…
“I’d like to thank Bill Foley and Neill Blake for the opportunity to become the first-team technical director of the football club that has been my life for the past 13 years.
“Having been a part of the huge success the club enjoyed during my playing career, I have also been privileged to be a part of the recruitment department, transitioning from Premier League player to a senior scouting role, and then for the last three years as assistant to Richard.
“I can’t thank Richard enough for giving me the guidance and tutelage to understand what it takes to operate at the highest level of football. He is someone I will always hold in the highest of regards. From playing together in the same Eddie Howe team to working together off the pitch has been the perfect apprenticeship for me.
“But now I am proud to be able to play a part in the next chapter of this exciting, ambitious football club and look forward to continuing the work with Andoni and this group of players to help the club build towards an exciting future on and off the pitch.”
Your say…
Waz afcb posted…
Not meaning to slag Franno off, just don’t think a Premier League club should be recruiting someone with no experience of that role in arguably the most important position at the club. No other Premier League side would so why us?
thegazzyb replied…
It all depends upon how much of what Hughes does is actually solely down to him. It could well be that we have a whole team of analysts working on recruitment in the background, making suggestions to Hughes about whom we could go for. He is perhaps then responsible for making the final decision and then getting the desired player under contract.
In that case, Franno has probably learned enough to be able to take on that role.
None of us know how much of the recruitment is down to Hughes personally but I’m pretty sure that he will be acting on advice from others who are most likely still going to be here.
adam0102 added…
He’s been deputy for a while, will have garnered on-the-job experience and also developed a network of contacts throughout the world
I can’t believe that a hard-headed American businessman who dispensed with a head coach who had kept us in the Prem would even consider promoting Franno without evidence that he could do the job.
We aren’t in that space any more, I think you’re still eyeing Franno as a right back without knowing how he’s performed since retiring.
If Bill and the club think he will do what we need him to and give him the job, I’m certainly not going to naysay it before he’s even got his knees under the desk… – To join the conversation, click here.
