CITY’S FINANCE CASE IS UNITED PROBLEM NOW
MANCHESTER UNITED are proclaiming the arrival of Omar Berrada as chief executive to be a coup which will eventually bring the glory years back to Old Trafford.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first act since paying £1.3billion to take a 25 percent stake in the club has not only strengthened United at boardroom level but severely weakened rivals Manchester City in the process.
It’s played one, won one as far as Sir Jim is concerned. Or at least it appears to be.
Because the Frenchman has left 115 Premier League allegations of financial misconduct behind at the Etihad. What happens if any of these charges are proved to be true by an Independent Commission?
If City – who have denied any wrongdoing – are found to have broken the rules, then the postion of United’s new kingmaker could become untenable before the paint on his car-parking space has even dried
I have to confess I didn’t know who Berrada was until it was announced last weekend that he was stepping down as City’s chief football operations officer to become United’s CEO. But it seems he was highly regarded at the Etihad and that his exit is a significant blow.
Berrada became an important figure at City after joining the club’s commercial department in 2011 at a time when their sponsorship revenues were starting to shoot up.
For the last eight years, he has been working alongside director of football Txiki Begiristain, negotiating transfer fees and player contracts.
He seems to be the kind of accomplished mover and shaker that United have lacked since David Gill followed Sir Alex Ferguson out of the exit door in 2013.
No surprise then that United’s fans are heralding his arrival as the best bit of business they could have possibly hoped for during the January window.
Oh, for the days when it was signing a new striker that got pulses quickening!
I have read this week that Ratcliffe (below) did his due diligence on Berrada before making his first big statement of intent since becoming a co-owner.
But how would anyone outside of the Premier League’s legal team, and the commission appointed to pass judgement on City’s case, know if Berrada has questions to answer?
He worked at the highest level of the City Football Group operation for almost 14 years.
What has been clear for some time is that United are in desperate need of a cultural reset.
Both Ed Woodward and Richard Arnold have ticked the right boxes from a commercial perspective. But the fact that Erik ten Hag is the fifth manager to be asked to fill the void left by Fergie shows how United have lost their way on the pitch.
It is going to take time for Berrada to turn things around. United are years behind City, from first-team level right down to the youth sides. City also have a stadium that is being expanded ahead of Euro 2028 and a training ground the envy of the game.
United have a history that commands respect and guarantees huge pulling power commercially. But it must be harnessed.
Berrada might do it. But the last thing United need is for the new man at the helm to be caught up in the complex legal case being fought by the neighbours.