PSG appoint Henrique as new sporting director

Paris Saint-Germain have announced the appointment of Antero Henrique as the club's new sporting director.

The 49-year-old was officially confirmed as the replacement for Olivier Letang on Friday.

Henrique, who earned great renown for his work as sporting director at Porto between 2005 and 2016, has been tasked with recruiting and developing "the stars of tomorrow" as PSG aim to claim back the Ligue 1 crown they lost to Monaco this season.

"I am extremely happy and honoured by the confidence [president] Nasser Al-Khelaifi has shown in me," Henrique told PSG's official website. 

"Paris Saint-Germain has entrusted me with important sporting responsibilities and I intend to work hard to meet those expectations. I cannot wait to put my experience to good use for the club – that in just a few years, has become one of the best in Europe.

"My ambition, my motivation, is to work every day to create a winning dynamic able to keep Paris Saint-Germain at the highest level in the long term."

Al-Khelaifi added: "It is with great satisfaction that I welcome Antero Henrique to our club. Antero will bring his great knowledge and experience of football with him.

"We are confident in his capacity to help Paris Saint-Germain achieve the ambitious objectives that we set on and off the pitch.

"Our new sports director is a reference in his field in Europe. He has the personality and the ability to further develop the club as one of the most respected and high performing sports institutions in the world."

PSG were initially linked with Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta, who now looks set to stay with the LaLiga club.

The news has cast doubt on the future of director of football Patrick Kluivert, who has been criticised in some quarters for PSG's transfer policy in the past year and their failure to defend the Ligue 1 title or reach at least the quarter-finals of the Champions League.