Zubizarreta appointed new Barca technical director

Barcelona’s former goalkeeping great Andoni Zubizarreta is to take over as the club’s technical director, the Catalan side announced on Friday.

The 48-year-old, who is one of the finest goalkeepers in Spanish football history, takes over the dealings of the professional football department.

Zubizarreta, who takes over from Txiki Begiristain, will have an important role in recruitment which will be done alongside coach Josep Guardiola and the new president Sandro Rosell.

His former teammate Guillermo Amor will look after the youth teams.

As Barcelona goalkeeper, Zubi won the European Cup, four Ligas in a row, two Copas del Rey, one Cup Winners Cup and three Super Cups in eight years.

After the 4-0 defeat by AC Milan in the 1994 Champions League final, he was axed from the side but went on to spend four years at Valencia before retiring in 1998.

Zubizarreta is the most capped Spanish international ever, with 126 appearances.