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Updated April 21st, 2021 at 01:22 IST

What happened to Ed Woodward? Why did Ed Woodward resign from Manchester United?

What happened to Ed Woodward? Manchester chief executive will leave the club at the end of the season following the European Super League meltdown.

Reported by: Sreehari Menon
What happened to Ed Woodward
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In a major meltdown following the disbanding of the European Super League, Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has reportedly penned his resignation. The 49-year-old was the key player in the European Super League, drawing lucrative commercial plans for the breakaway division. Woodward has been at the helm of Manchester United since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, and the Red Devils will now be forced to fill in a key position at the club. 

What happened to Ed Woodward? Why did Ed Woodward resign? 

According to reports from TalkSport, Manchester United chief executive, Ed Woodward, has quit the club following backlash for his involvement in the European Super League. The Red Devils were amongst the six Premier League clubs who pledged to join the breakaway competition in a bid to maximise revenue following the losses incurred during the coronavirus pandemic. With the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City quitting the breakaway "elite" division following an immense backlash, the executives of the other 10 clubs were walking on a tight rope, with Woodward being the first to bite the dust. The Man United chief was one of the driving forces, along with owner Joel Glazer, behind the controversial European Super League. Woodward had already agreed with the Glazers, Manchester United's owners, that he would finish at Old Trafford at the end of the year, but the announcement has been brought forward.

Are Manchester United in Super League?

The 49-year-old will step down as Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman at the end of the 2020-21 season. The news of Ed Woodward resignation came in hours after Manchester United players including captain Harry Maguire reportedly confronted him at Carrington. The Red Devils stars were furious after they found out about the breakaway European Super League and their own employer’s central role in it via social media. The players made their feelings known on a Zoom call while at Carrington, with many feeling that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was thrown under the bus when left to face questions after the news broke out. 

The European Super League, which proposed that Manchester United and 11 other "elite" clubs would always compete and never face relegation, is now likely to be called off after widespread protests among football fans. Manchester United were amongst the leading players in the creation of the Super League but are now planning to blackout following immense backlash from fans, players and pundits alike. Man United stars Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford have all expressed their displeasure regarding the Super League. 

Ed Woodward Manchester United career

Ed Woodward was at JP Morgan in 2005 when he advised Malcolm Glazer and the Glazer family during its successful takeover of Manchester United. The Glazer family then recruited Woodward to join the club in a "financial planning" role. Over the years, Woodward's stock at Old Trafford grew, especially after being given charge of the commercial and media operations of Manchester United. The Red Devils saw huge commercial success, bagging lucrative sponsorship deals, which almost doubled their commercial revenue. The former investment banker was appointed to the board of directors and named executive vice-chairman of Manchester United in 2012.

After the retirement of CEO David Gill the following year, Woodward was promoted to the top operational role at Old Trafford in a restructuring of the club's boardroom. Woodward was succeeded by Richard Arnold as the club's commercial managing director.  Woodward's reign has seen the club's performances nosedive on the pitch, while still being one of the biggest commercial giants in world football. Manchester United fans have been vocal of their displeasure with his role and involvement and in January 2020, his Cheshire home was attacked by a group of disgruntled supporters, who chanted that he was "going to die". The club had been heading towards a new direction with the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager in December 2018 and the addition of a director of football in John Murtough along with the return of Darren Fletcher. 

(Image Courtesy: manutd.com)

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Published April 21st, 2021 at 01:11 IST

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