LONDON: Manchester United have appointed managing director Richard Arnold to be ceo from February 1 from the departing exective vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Woodward announced his intention to step down last spring, after United and 11 other European football clubs’ proposal to break away from their domestic leagues to form a European Super League turned into a debacle.

The club outmaneuvered Manchester City to add Cristiano Ronaldo during the summer transfer window but Woodward proved far more successful at signing sponsors than signing players.

He also oversaw the sacking of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November after an erratic start to the season. United are currently seventh in the Premier League, 22 points behind first-place City. United last won the Premier League in 2013 season, the last of 13 titles over 21 years under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Executive co-chair Joel Glazer, in a statement, said: “We are now looking forward to Richard and his leadership team opening a new phase in the club’s evolution, with ambitious plans for investment in Old Trafford, the strengthening of our engagement with fans, and continued drive towards our most important objective—winning on the pitch.”

Arnold, 50, joined the club in 2007 and was responsible for sponsorships, retail, merchandising, licensing and digital media as its commercial director.

He was appointed managing director in 2013, overseeing all operational and commercial aspects of the club. In the late 1990s, he worked in the technology sector at PricewaterhouseCoopers, overlapping with Woodward at the consulting firm.

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