Former Arsenal performance chief Darren Burgess has been named Director of Performance at Juventus.
Darren Burgess, once of London Colney, has been appointed Director of Performance at Juventus.
The Australian sports scientist, who was brought to Arsenal in 2017 by Arsène Wenger and then-chief executive Ivan Gazidis, lasted only two seasons in north London.
Hand-picked to lead a sweeping restructuring of Arsenal’s medical and sports science departments, Burgess oversaw the departures of long-serving staff including Colin Lewin and physios Ben Ashworth, Andrew Rolls and James Haycock.
He brought in new faces and expanded the club’s use of data analytics, nutrition, and performance monitoring. His work covered first team and academy players, with responsibilities ranging from fitness and injury prevention to psychology and recovery.
Burgess’s tenure came to an end in June 2019 after the Europa League final defeat to Chelsea and the arrival of new technical staff under Unai Emery. Reports at the time suggested he had been told he was being dismissed in the days following Baku, with Arsenal negotiating a settlement.
His departure was tied closely to the decision to convince Shad Forsythe to remain at the club amid speculation he would follow Gazidis to AC Milan. Forsythe eventually left in 2022, joining Borussia Dortmund, where he remained until this summer when he reportedly left to join Sunderland, although he is still listed as ‘without a club’.
Since leaving Arsenal, Burgess has continued to build his reputation internationally, consulting for NFL and NBA franchises. He also advises FIFPRO and sits on several high-performance boards.
Juventus, announcing his arrival, hailed him as “one of the world’s leading performance managers” with over 25 years of experience.
At Turin he will work alongside director general Damien Comolli, Giorgio Chiellini, François Modesto and head coach Igor Tudor, in what Juventus describe as a high-level team dedicated to “excellence in performance, innovation and athlete wellbeing.”