Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has cautioned Manchester United that hiring executive Omar Berrada from their rivals won’t necessarily solve all of their problems.
Manchester United recently appointed Berrada as their new CEO, marking the end of his nearly 10-year tenure at City.
The appointment of Omar Berrada as the first major move since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement at Old Trafford is seen as a significant coup for Manchester United. However, Guardiola emphasises that this move alone won’t automatically close the gap with Manchester City.
Guardiola stated in his latest press conference: “De Bruyne will play here. Erling Haaland will play here, so in the end it’s not that simple like that. Maybe United thinks with this person everything is going to change. Congratulations. I don’t know if this is going to happen.”
He added, “I don’t know if [by] doing this [clicks his fingers] everything is going to be sorted and it works. If it does happen then oh my god they have to make a stand for Omar Berrada in the future because he’d deserve it.”
Berrada has played a crucial role in Manchester City’s off-field operations, serving as the chief operating officer at the Etihad Stadium for four years before being promoted to the role of chief football operations officer at City Football Group in 2020.
His collaboration with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, director of football Txiki Begiristain, and CEO Ferran Soriano has been instrumental in City’s unprecedented era of success, including last season’s treble.
Guardiola then acknowledged that Omar Berrada will be missed at Manchester City but asserts that the club will “move on” despite his departure.