Ed Woodward is to step down as
Manchester United s executive
vice-chairperson at the end of this year, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old former investment banker is believed
to have been one of the prime movers behind controversial proposals for a European Super League.
JP Morgan, the bank he worked for when he
advised the Glazers over their purchase of Manchester United in 2005,
are financing the project. I am extremely proud to have served
United and it has been an honour to work for the world s greatest
football club for the past 16 years, he said in a statement.
Ed Woodward expected to leave Manchester United sooner
Man United will need to appoint a new chief executive later this year but possibly sooner, amid the likelihood of an earlier departure time for Ed Woodward.
Get the latest United updates, transfer news and analysis delivered
straight to your inbox every day for freeInvalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Subscribe
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Your information will be used in accordance with ourPrivacy Notice.
Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee ourprivacy notice Ed Woodward is expected to leave Manchester United in the summer, rather than at the end of the year.
European Super League Q&A: Why it failed - and will clubs try again?
By Simon StoneBBC Sport I don t think that project is now still up and running - Agnelli on ESL
It has been an extraordinary few days in European football.
The biggest clubs on the continent quit the Champions League, then returned, humiliated and apologetic in fewer than 48 hours.
In between they were hit with a whirlwind of vitriol, the anger and criticism coming in wave after wave. Eventually it was too much, and the project crumbled.
So, where did it all go wrong, what happens now and are the issues that led to the creation of the ESL now solved? BBC Sport picks through the incredible events of the past few days.
Man Utd pretend Woodward exit unconnected to ESL
Date published: Tuesday 20th April 2021 8:09 - Joe Williams
Ed Woodward is to step down as Manchester United executive vice-chairman by the end of the year, with the club announcing his departure shortly before confirming they had pulled the plug on their proposed involvement in a European Super League.
The 49-year-old, who joined the club in 2005, becomes the first high-profile departure since plans for the breakaway league were unveiled on Sunday evening.
Woodward was a key figure behind the controversial competition and his exit was confirmed around an hour-and-a-half before United said they would not be participating in it.
The executive vice-chairmanâs eight turbulent years began with the steepest of learning curves that would have challenged a seasoned expert moving from Real Madrid or New York Yankees to take charge of Englandâs most garlanded club. Woodward, though, had zero experience of leading any sporting entity, so such a touchstone of the global game was a test.
Woodward succeeded David Gill, who had been chief executive for a decade and enjoyed the blessing of working with Sir Alex Ferguson, Unitedâs greatest manager. Ferguson departed at the same time as Gill in what proved a double whammy for the newcomer, given the Scot was a genius in all football matters and his lieutenant a slick transfer market operator in a partnership that brought trophies almost every season.