20 January 2024 , 23:49
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The appointment of Omar Berrada at Manchester United was made by the Glazers, in consultation with Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The British Billionaire is yet to formally complete his 25 percent investment of the club with the Premier League still to approve his paperwork. Though, this is a mere formality.
And with United having already announced Ratcliffe's arrival and plans to oversee all football operations, he has wasted no time making his first major decision. And it's a big one. Berrada will be the club's new CEO and will join from local rivals Manchester City.
It's regarded as something of a coup for United, with Berrada crucial to City's success during his 13 years at the Etihad. Mirror Football understands Joel and Avram Glazer made the appointment while working with Ratcliffe.
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The decision to give Berrada the job ahead of Ratcliffe's arrival was done so he can be in place as soon as possible after Ratcliffe's investment is completed. That said, Mirror Football further understands that his notice period may mean Berrada is not in place until the start of the 2024-25 season.
United confirmed the announcement on Saturday, with a statement on their website. It read: "Manchester United is pleased to announce the appointment of Omar Berrada as its new CEO. The Club is determined to put football and performance on the pitch back at the heart of everything we do. Omar’s appointment represents the first step on this journey.
"As one of the most experienced football executives at the top of European football, Omar brings a wealth of football and commercial expertise, with a proven record of successful leadership and a passion to help lead change across the Club. He is currently serving as Chief Football Operations Officer for City Football Group overseeing 11 clubs across five continents and, prior to this, held senior roles at Barcelona."
Sir Jim Ratcliffe with Sir Alex Ferguson watching Manchester United (Manchester United via Getty Images)Ratcliffe's investment was announced on Christmas Eve and he attended his first game last weekend - the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. Prior to the game Ratcliffe reiterated his excitement at taking control of all football operations and even revealed he had spoken to Erik ten Hag.
Ratcliffe said: "It's the first match for me since we got here. I'm very excited to be here, but I can’t answer any questions really. It's a big match and we normally do well against Spurs. I have met Erik [ten Hag] but it would be inappropriate [to comment on that meeting] until it's all formalised."
He added: "I have done a few exciting things, but this caps it all. There’s no question about that. It's taken a few years and it's taken a few turns, as you know, but these things take some doing."