Manchester United are ‘determined to put football and performance on the pitch back at the heart of everything we do”. Is this a damning verdict, from the club themselves, of the culture that has been adopted over the past 10 years?
An absolute bombshell was dropped a couple of weeks ago when it was announced that the CFO of Manchester City, Omar Berrada, would switch to the red side of Manchester to become CEO. In a coup that almost seemed implausible amidst the current backdrop of negativity and uncertainty at the club in its ownership, Manchester United under its new minority investment leadership from INEOS, have stolen Omar Berrada.
INEOS mean business
This move shows that INEOS mean business. It is a clear message that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s desire to create a new footballing project spearheaded by the best in the business would ring true.
Berrada has a formidable reputation and was at the heart of the Manchester City footballing operation. He was originally focused on the commercial side of things at Manchester City but in 2016 he moved to the footballing side, negotiating the Haaland deal and more intricate day to day football matters. United haven’t really had a CEO be involved in the football project John Murtough, the football director at United was given that role by Richard Arnold (the previous CEO) largely because Arnold felt out of depth. The appointment of Berrada as a result will thus be extremely needed.
Berrada
Berrada speaks 4 languages and started at Barcelona, and has all the makings of a man to spearhead revolution at Manchester United. The reason that this is so positive for Manchester United is because it represents a change in their hiring policy. Mindset and policies trickle downwards, and if this is the culture at the top of the club, this will hopefully filter down into recruitment and day to day operational decisions at the club. Most hires in the past by the Glaziers were given to people who had to learn and adapt to new roles : Darren Fletcher as technical director is a key example.
We also need to remember that City are still blighted by the FFP charges hanging over their heads. Omar Berrada is not necesssrily free from this. These charges are targeted at those in charge at City from 2009-2018, and as a result Berrada could be implicated. It does seem comical that United had previously called for stringent use of the FFP rules against City, but after Berrada’s appointment, they could change tack.
The poignance of the admission that football has not been at the heart of what United do, in addition to Berrada’s appointment, showcases that INEOS are here to make a change, make an impact, and maybe make some progress to this United footballing project. This is a ruthless steal, and one to be remembered in 3 year’s time, where we can take stock of how far Manchester United have progressed.