Man Utd confident hires from Man City will not bring heat if rivals are punished

Chief executive Omar Berrada headlines the list of former City employees who have moved to Old Trafford in recent months.

Wed, 16 Oct, 2024 - 22:30

Ian Parker, PA

Manchester United have no concerns they would face any issues if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching financial regulations despite hiring key officials who previously worked for their rivals.

United chief executive Omar Berrada headlines the list of former City employees who have moved to Old Trafford in recent months under the new Ineos-led football structure.

Berrada previously served as chief operations officer for City and spent 12 years in various positions at the club, including a spell as commercial director. He joined United in July after a period of garden leave since his appointment was announced in January.

City’s former academy director Jason Wilcox joined United as technical director in April, having been working as Southampton’s director of football, while former City sports scientist Sam Erith now serves as United’s performance director, appointed on an interim basis in September.

But the PA news agency understands United are absolutely confident there would be no impact on them or their employees if the independent hearing into City’s alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations finds against the reigning champions.

In February last year, City were hit with more than 100 charges by the Premier League, with the alleged offences covering a period from 2009 to 2018.

City have always denied any wrongdoing, but should they be found guilty of some or all of the charges, possible penalties include huge fines, points deductions or even relegation.

The hearing into the case finally began last month and is into its fifth week, having been scheduled to last for 10 weeks. The aim is for a final verdict, including any appeal, to be completed by the end of this season.