On 20th April 2021, Manchester United had announced that Ed Woodward would resign from his position as Executive Vice-Chairman of the club. This was the result of his role in initiating the European Super League, an exclusive organization of Europe’s elite football clubs, the Big Six being a part of it as well.
The formation of the ESL received an unprecedented global backlash from the club’s supporters and other avid football fans who launched major protests and petitions for Woodward’s resignation and the Glazer family to step down as the owners of the club.
Recent reports from Sky Sports claim that a potential successor for Woodward is seen in Richard Arnold, the club’s current Commercial Managing Director who also coincidentally took up the designation from Woodward himself when the latter was promoted to Vice Executive-Chairman back in 2012. Another two United executives are also in the run to get hold of the seat.
An accountant by profession, Ed Woodward has undoubtedly gained a contentious reputation from Manchester United fans and faced constant criticisms for his actions.
In his tenure as Vice Executive Chairman of the club, he has bought in significant assets to the club’s roost with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire, and Bruno Fernandes. Among his many hits, he also has had his misses, by signing notable names and spending vast sums of money on the players with the ill-fated result of them not fitting in with the squad and the manager’s strategy on the pitch. The example of Argentine, Angel Di Maria comes to mind and becomes pertinent to the case above.
Richard Arnold, also an accountant by occupation, has contributed to expanding Manchester United’s brand name by launching commercial organizations in London, New York City, and Hong Kong. He has also been nominated as SportBusiness International Magazine’s Sports Innovator of the Year, considering his commercial contribution to Manchester United.
The likely appointment of Richard Arnold as the new Vice Executive Chairman of the club in the next month should feasibly improve concerning issues at Old Trafford at the latest, if not, sometime in the near future.
