Who is Sudarshan Gopaladesikan - The Former Infosys Employee Who is Now Newcastle United's New Technical Director

English Premier League side Newcastle United recently unveiled Sudarshan Gopaladesikan as their new technical director, a huge landmark for the Indian-origin executive who has spent years working in the football industry as a whole. 

"I'm delighted and honoured to be joining Newcastle United as Technical Director. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with clubs that have deeply passionate fanbases, and Newcastle stands out for its unique connection between the team, the city and its supporters," he said upon his appointment.

Here we take a look at how a former Infosys employee rose to prominence in a club that are competing in the UEFA Champions League in the 2025-26 season. 

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From Benfica to Atalanta to Newcastle

Sudarshan is a 2014 graduate from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania previous career saw him work with the likes of Microsoft and Infosys. But football was always the main passion for the 33-year-old. 

This has seen him work with the likes of Portuguese giants Benfica as well as Serie A side Atalanta, the latter of whom won the Europa League in the 2023-24 season. 

But it his approach to a ‘Moneyball’ style of working that has aided his sides greatly in the past, and it is something he will hope to bring to the transfer dealings of Newcastle. 

His main job will be to implement the use of a data-driven approach across all of the sporting departments in the club, and he will report to the as-yet unappointed sporting director. 

"I'm excited to work alongside the club's talented staff to identify what helps give us a competitive edge," he said.

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Newcastle's Aims for 2025-26

The club have managed back-to-back finishes in the Champions League spots in the last 2 seasons and even ended a top-flight trophy drought stretching back nearly 70 years when they lifted the Carabao Cup earlier this year. 

The goal this season would be to compete for more trophies and maintain their Champions League status quo. 

The appointment of Sudarshan reflects a mentality that they will need to keep evolving and working hard to ensure those goals are met.