Louis Ducruet’s big move from Monaco to Nottingham Forest this past summer was not a straight path. It came only after a phone call from technical director François Modesto turned his head and sealed the deal.
As the son of Princess Stephanie and nephew to Prince Albert II, Louis Ducruet was always going to have a fair share of life choices. His passion lay in football, and for five years he worked his way through the ranks at his home club in Monaco learning the ropes and making good use of his time.
This past summer, the 28-year-old decided it was time to spread his wings farther afield and he put out feelers. Several teams came back to him, but none were great fits until a phone call from Nottingham Forest’s technical director François Modesto changed all that.
“Our first contacts date back to mid-June,’ Ducruet told L’Equipe in a recent interview. “I had hinted that I would not extend at AS Monaco. The negotiations did not go as I wanted. I also wanted to see something else. François Modesto got in touch with me. He occupies the sports management between Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos, which are owned by the same shareholder. François was the main intermediary. With just one phone call he convinced me.”
This started the young Ducruet on a new path as Nottingham Forest’s new advisor for international projects, citing the team’s history and working in the United Kingdom as primary reasons. He will also be working with Greek Super League team Olympiacos overseeing business.
Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest are owned by the same major shareholder, Evangelos Marinakis, making the dual roles a sensible choice.
Modesto and Ducruet already have a relationship that started back when Modesto played for AS Monaco and became stronger when he took on a behind the scenes role with the team. This link helped make the decision easier for Ducruet, who turned down offers from other European clubs in the process.
“I have had them in Belgium, Switzerland, and even in France. But I looked for real professional progression while wanting to continue learning in a great football country like England,” he said. “Nottingham Forest remains a historic club even though it is in the Championship. They won two European Cups and were English Champion. Next to it is Olympiacos, which also opens up other discoveries for me. It’s a huge learning opportunity.”
The rather nebulous sounding title, advisor for international projects, is designed to be just that. It gives Ducruet the chance to have fingers in several pies including recruitment, commercial aspects and marketing.
Despite the change of job, he will still officially be residing in Monaco due to protocol and personal reasons but will be in Nottingham for one week rounds where he expects to be available for “at least two games from the first team and one from the reserve.
 
Photo source: Nottingham Forest football club