This is yet another Aston Villa development that can leave some puzzled as to what exactly is going on at the club.
In a largely surprising move, Monchi will no longer be Villa's president of football operations. He has stepped down from his position effective immediately. This seems to me more of a personal decision for a lifestyle choice rather than anything reflective of how those in charge at the club view his performance to this point in his position.
This can be said due to the nature that Monchi will continue to work for V-Sports in an advisory role. This will allow the Spaniard to return to his country while still being able to assist to some capacity, while allowing for the more immediate day-to-day operations to be taken care of by someone else who is physically in Bodymoor.
Again, this transition appears to be far from any kind of reflection on Monchi's time at Villa and is instead a result of his needing a personal change while the club was already in a strong position to be able to add a highly capable replacement who has veteran experience in this space.
Replaceement at Aston Villa
Roberto Olabe will take over in the same capacity at Villa. This allows the club to continue to operate within the same hierarchical structure. It also helps that Unai Emery is familiar with Olabe.
Both as players and later on within the managing capacity, the two have worked together.
The timing may seem a little odd, particularly when taking into account the start of the season. All in all, though, this is not a move that should raise alarm bells. Villa have managed to secure the services of someone who was in high demand from other top clubs, and this should be one of the smoother transitions in regard to the club activities at Villa.