Unlike new signings or high profile managers, chief executives don’t tend to grab the same sort of headlines when they are appointed at a football club. It was a bit different in the case of Omar Berrada though, because he was coming to Manchester United as part of a massive restructure, and he was coming from Manchester City.
This was big news, but it left fans with one key question: Who is Omar Berrada? We tend not to pay too much attention to off-field staff at our own clubs, let alone at clubs we don’t support, so very few people had the slightest clue about him. Yet, he was going to be shaping Manchester United’s long term future.
The irony wasn’t lost on us: the man tasked with digging us out of the hole left by Ed Woodward and co was directly responsible for the success of our arch rivals. But we still didn’t know who he was. Well, after reading this, you will know all you need to.
From Barcelona to the Etihad
Omar Berrada was born in Paris, raised in the USA, but moved to Barcelona in his early 20s in order to study, and be close to Barcelona FC, the team he had supported since childhood.
He studied business then began a career outside of football, working for Tiscali among other companies, but became the Head of Sponsorship at Barcelona in 2004. This is where his real career began, seeing him move to Manchester City in 2011.
From there, he had a slow but steady climb through the ranks, but still working on the commercial side right up to 2016 when he became their Chief Operating Officer. This wasn’t really a football role as such, but he acted as a bridge between the commercial side and the football side, so got much more insight into the footballing matters.
He became Chief Football Operations Officer on the whole of City Group in 2020, so he was in charge of the strategy and operations of their whole portfolio of clubs such as New York City FC, Girona, Melbourne City, Troyes, and of course Manchester City.
City were already winning lots of trophies, but after Berrada’s appointment at City Group they experienced their most dominant period ever, winning the league 4 times in a row, and also winning the treble.
Then, in 2024, Manchester United came knocking.
Why United Wanted Berrada
Look at where City were, then look at where we were. How could we not want him?
After the chaos of the Ed Woodward era, with wild transfer windows and a sense that the business side of the club mattered more to him than the football, and Richard Arnold’s cameo, we needed a sensible grown up in the room.
Enter Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, with cash to spend and a real desire to properly rebuild United. They unashamedly and aggressively poached Berrada and a whole new leadership team, including Jason Wilcox. Berrada was to be the man running the show though.
🚨🔴 Omar Berrada has already signed the contract as new Manchester United CEO — leaving Man City with immediate effect.
Berrada, wanted by INEOS — he’ll have overall control of football and business.
Berrada will sit on board and report to all the owners. Start date TBC. pic.twitter.com/J0JRNzTJ4p
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 20, 2024
We all know what he did with City, but his track record with City Group’s other clubs is amazing. Obviously, it wasn’t all down to him, but during his tenure:
- New York FC became MLS Cup winners
- Girona were promoted to La Liga
- Troyes were promoted back to Ligue 1
- Melbourne FC won the A-League
- Mumbai City won the Indian Super League
What’s more, this all happened within 2 seasons of Berrada’s appointment. Project 2028 doesn’t seem so far fetched after reading that, does it?
If he can juggle the footballing operations of lots of clubs and turn them into winners, surely he could do it with one?
Manchester United needed someone to link all of the different parts of the club together and create consistency via joined-up football operations. Omar Berrada was over qualified.
And lets not forget the symbolic impact. Hiring a senior figure from our rivals was more than smart business, it was a statement of intent. It was INEOS telling the fans and the wider footballing world that they were serious about fixing things.
So What is he Actually Doing?
Since Berrada’s work is behind the scenes and much broader in scope, it is far more difficult for fans to get a sense of what he is actually doing. We can’t ‘see’ his work, and it’s much harder to quantify.
Put simply, his role is about alignment. He has to make sure that every department, from recruitment to the academy to the commercial arm, is pulling in the same direction. Overseeing the football operations means ensuring that all departments are making decisions that are in line with the long term vision, and pulling them up on it when they don’t. So no short term decisions and no scattergun approaches.
I think there are already sings that this is taking root.
Look at this summer’s recruitment strategy. It wasn’t perfect, but it was miles better than it has been for years. It felt much more coherent. Instead of chasing big names for headlines and record breaking fees, we paid sensibly for mostly Premier League proven players, and players who are either young or just hitting their prime. We now have a defined player acquisition profile, and it didn’t happen by accident.
The academy has been making excellent signings too. Snapping up promising players for hundreds of thousands that will be worth tens of millions in a few years. Taking a few risks on inexpensive youth rather than financially crippling first team ‘stars’ that don’t work out is prudent. In fact, it will probably make us lots of money in the coming years.
He is also the link between Sir Jim and INEOS and the football side of the club. Berrada and Ratcliffe will have an agreed vision for the club, but it is Berrada that has to make it happen. He is responsible for everything. Managing resources, balancing priorities, reacting to an ever changing situation, and making sure the right voices are being heard at the right time.
We have lacked proficiency with this sort of co-ordination for a long time, but Omar Berrada knows exactly how to knit a football club together.
The Most Important United Signing You Will Never Seen Play?
He could be. He really could be.
It’s easy to judge everything through the lens of what is happening on the pitch, but in modern football, so much of the success (or failure) comes down to the lesser seen figures behind the scenes. Omar Berrada isn’t going to get us a last minute winner in a cup final, but the structures and systems he is putting in place might well be responsible for what brings us the player who does.
He is a steadying hand and a clear voice. He is competence personified.
But make no mistake: he is turning around an oil tanker, not a luxury yacht. It takes time, and Manchester United’s fanbase are notoriously impatient. This is a case where lots of small changes will result in the club changing course, but it’s gradual.
In a year or two we will have a much better idea of whether or not his plan is working, but for me, Omar Berrada has already changed Manchester United for the better, and his ability to realise a long term vision could just be what saves us.