At the end of March, we reported on Tony Adams becoming Granada FC’s sporting director but he’s now been appointed manager. Here’s how.

• Adams was flown in to help find Granada’s new sporting director
• He has previously managed Wycombe Wanderers, Portsmouth and Gabala
• Former Arsenal captain is in charge until the end of the season

The former defender turned down a coaching role at Arsenal in order to go over to China and become head of Chongqing Lifan’s academy in the summer. The Chinese club announced that they had joined forces with Granada.

Because of these links, Adams was originally flown in by Granada’s owner, John Jhiang, and his DDMC company, which Adams is vice president of, to oversee the club’s hunt for a new sporting director.

Granada’s previous SD, Javier Torralbo ‘Piru’, had been sacked, and the struggling La Liga club were already on their second manager of the season.

Together with Jhiang, Adams drew up a plan for Granada, saying, “I do not like the English model of the manager who makes all the decisions or the Spanish model of the sports director, who runs the whole club. I prefer teamwork, with a figure that works with the coach. The person decides the staff, since he has to work with these players day by day, with the coach of the branch, with the Academy; with the scouting team; with medical services; with sports management or with communication.

“I have come to strengthen the club, I am working daily with the technical staff of Granada CF in the future.

“Our idea is to have a template with a majority of Spanish players, whatever the category in which the team is.

“I’m here to put the Spanish structure in place, with players belonging to Granada CF and fighting for Granada.

“We have inherited 106 players of which only 44 are footballers of the Granada CF. Our intention is to return his equipment to Granada so that Granada identifies with his team and his players.”

It was always understood that although Adams was acting as sporting director for the time being, he wouldn’t be filling the role permanently. And now we know why, since he’s been named as Granada FC’s new manager.

Granada have officially confirmed via their website that the club have parted ways with Lucas Alcaraz and Adams will stand in until the end of the season.

“After evaluating the situation in which the team is and the feelings that the team shows after the last results obtained, Granada CF has decided to conclude the stage of Lucas Alcaraz and his coaching staff at the head of the first team.

“In his third time at Granada, he led 24 league and two Copa del Rey matches during the current course leaving a number of four wins, six draws and 14 defeats in the league championship; And a victory and a defeat in Copa del Rey.

“Instead, the club relies on Tony Adams, vice president of DDMC, as head coach of Granada CF until the end of the season.

“The Granada CF wants to thank the personal and professional commitment of Lucas Alcaraz and his coaching staff, as well as his dedication during the months that he has been in charge of the team and wish him the best of luck for the future.”

And that’s how that happened.