Man United Scores on Rival Man City—This Time Off the Pitch

Nearly 15 years ago, Manchester City signed star striker Carlos Tevez away from its crosstown rivals—and then-three-time defending Premier League champions—Manchester United. Three seasons later, in 2012, Tevez helped Man City win its first-ever EPL title, kicking off a run of seven domestic championships since.

With the roles now reversed, United—which hasn’t won the Premier League since 2013—is taking a page out of its rival’s book, this time off the pitch, luring a key executive away from City: Omar Berrada is stepping down as chief football operations officer of City Football Group in order to become CEO of United.

Berrada has worked for Manchester City in various capacities since 2011. He’s been credited with aiding the club’s recent success both on and off the field.

Billionaire’s Big Splash

With billionaire Jim Ratcliffe on his way to officially becoming a minority owner of Manchester United, and in the process taking over soccer operations as part of his $1.6 billion deal, former CEO Richard Arnold had already stepped down to make way for new leadership. An official start date for Berrada has not been confirmed, but it’s likely he may not start to make his impact felt until this summer.

United currently sits eighth in the Premier League and failed to advance out of UEFA Champions League group play, costing the club tens of millions of dollars. City is second in the EPL and the betting favorite to win a second consecutive UCL title, after last season’s historic treble.