Sartori set to bring top young Uruguayan talent over Wear
Juan Sartori hopes that Sunderland could potentially become a platform for the best Uruguayan talent to thrive.
Sartori has bought a 20% stake in the club, with Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven hoping that his football connections can help the Black Cats as they bounce back from years of underachievement.
Dmitry Rybolovlev, president of AS Monaco FC, is Sartori’s father-in-law.
The Uruguayan had his first taste of the Stadium of Light on the opening day of the season and hopes to build links between the club and his host country.
He said: “In all my projects I always have Uruguay in my head.
“With Sunderland I imagine an entry platform for Uruguayan talent in European football. It has one of the best academies in Europe where I plan to take young Uruguayans with potential to develop in good conditions and give them the opportunity.
“[It could] also give access to that market to so many Uruguayan clubs that need it and with whom we could make good agreements.
“As the club moves up it will be more interesting. In general, I am always in contact and supporting football in Uruguay as I can, because it brings together everything that I love and the satisfaction of being able to help from wherever I can.”
Sartori added that he believes the passion of the Sunderland support mirrors that of the Uruguayans, and hopes that the Black Cats can punch above their weight in the same way the Latin American side have done in the footballing world.
The 37-year-old also believes there are some similarities with what the new regime hope to achieve and Monaco’s journey in recent years.
He said: “I think I could learn some things – it’s a club that was in a similar situation when it was bought [bottom of the second division] and three years later they were champions of the French league.
“It is a good example what can be achieved by doing things well.”