A caveat to the optimism surrounding Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival at Manchester United, who have made a bold commitment to put football at the heart of decision-making and hire talent that justifies the term 'world class' It was a question of whether I could do it.
There were also concerns among staff and supporters about the practicalities of Mr. Ratcliffe working with the Glazer family as a minority partner. He may have signed a deal that makes him United's biggest individual shareholder, giving him control of the football business on paper, but as far as the club's voting rights are concerned, his 25 per cent stake still makes him one of six He is the younger brother of an American brother.
But less than a month after the unusual deal was announced on Christmas Eve, and before the Premier League also approved the deal, Ratcliffe appointed Omar Berrada as United's new chief executive. He is making moves that support his statement.
Along with Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, senior members of the INEOS team appointed to manage United, Mr Ratcliffe urged club employees and fans to channel everyone's energy into what happens on the pitch. At a face-to-face meeting, he said that the government should aim to To that end, he said he intends to revolutionize the structure of the club.
One listener last week, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, said his impression was that Mr. Ratcliffe persevered through a long bidding process. “He's not waiting for anyone,” the source said. “I don’t think he’s going to waste any time trying to make a change.”
Ratcliffe's claims were met with a mixture of enthusiasm and skepticism from other members of the audience, but poaching Berrada from Manchester City could well mean United's new co-owners will deliver on their promises. It is an expression of what is happening.
Berrada, 46, has established an excellent reputation at City and is seen as a possible successor to chief executive Ferran Soriano or director of football Txiki Begiristain, as well as management outside the Etihad. It is highly rated by both employees and agents.
He moved to football from the commercial sector, where he specialized at City between 2011 and 2016, negotiating with Mino Raiola and Rafaela Pimento regarding Erling Haaland's contract, and playing a key role in renewing player contracts. Now I have .
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United's decision to have a chief executive involved in sporting matters is a departure from his predecessor Richard Arnold, who delegated responsibility to director of football John Murtagh. While Arnold felt he was unqualified to influence the area, Ratcliffe believes those who run the club on a day-to-day basis should be comfortable in their natural roles at a football club. .
Berrada's arrival marks a return to United's ways under Ed Woodward, who sealed the deal and appointed manager. With the exception of Mr. Berrada, who speaks four languages and started his soccer career at Barcelona, he has far more credibility than Mr. Woodward has built in his nine years in the job.
Under Glazer, United have a history of hiring from within and appointing people who need to learn on the field. Matt Judge as head negotiator, Darren Fletcher as technical director and Murtaugh to name just three. Berrada has never been a chief executive before, but his responsibilities as City's chief executive of football operations represent much of what will be expected of him at Old Trafford.
This is not the first time Manchester's neighbors have competed for talent in recent years. United were able to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire and Fred ahead of City, but the circumstances surrounding all three made it fearful they would miss out on the blue half.
Berrada's appointment feels different given his strategic importance, but it remains to be seen how he will fare within another dysfunctional organization in the modern era. That should temper supporters' optimism. Berrada himself highlighted United's problems, tweeting an article in 2014 questioning how the club got into “this mess”.
But Mr. Ratcliffe supported that view, telling his staff frankly that the football department was failing and that he believed Berrada could help. “Hiring Berrada is exactly the move United should make,'' said a former United employee. “This is a true best-in-class attack.”
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Brann, CEO of INEOS Sport, also fits that description. He was initially thought to be likely to take up the top role at United, before discussions developed about him joining the football board. Returning to his day-to-day demands as the club's chief executive, the position he held at Juventus did not personally appeal to Blanc, and he instead decided to provide strategic advice. Become.
Another way Verada's entry supports Ratcliffe's confident claims is the stealth nature of its surroundings. For years, United's personnel were publicly tracked and it took longer than necessary to get them over the line. Woodward informed Murtaugh of his intention to become a football manager for two years until he was promoted from within. Arnold's move to chief executive has been expected for months.
The same goes for transfers, with United's nauseating goals written in controversy and delay.
Speed helps maintain secrets as well as build established relationships. These aspects, news about Verada, The Athletic on Saturday night. Joel Glazer and Abram Glaser also joined the negotiations, but Ratcliffe drove them and pushed the pace.
The appeal of Berrada leaving a successful football division for one that is underperforming can be seen in the freedom he will be given in rebuilding United. Soriano and Begiristain sit above him at City, and many in the industry are talking about Pep Guardiola stepping down this summer and being replaced by Roberto Di Zerbi, but that possibility remains uncertain. Even in that case, it may not cause a reorganization of the hierarchy.
United's excitement is marked with an asterisk. 115 of them, to be exact. The Premier League's series of accusations of false accounting and inflated business deals affect City and, by extension, all employees who held seniority positions between 2009 and 2018.
Berrada was in charge of sponsorship at the time City was accused of breaching regulations, but was not personally involved. The city strongly denies the accusations of wrongdoing.
This is not the first time United have hired City staff due to regulatory action. Dave Harrison and Lyndon Tomlinson crossed the divide in 2017 to lead United's academy recruitment, which saw City banned from signing certain academy players by the Premier League for two years for breaching youth development regulations. It was around the same time that he was suspended.
United bosses have been adamant about applying Financial Fair Play rules since the allegations against City came to light, but INEOS's strong start at the club means there is a potential new push to win. It may indicate emphasis. Mr Brailsford previously described INEOS' philosophy: “It’s important to do it the right way and push it to the limit.”
(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
