Man Utd: Omar Berrada explains three leadership qualities which influenced Sir Jim Ratcliffe decision

Omar Berrada has been announced as Manchester United’s new chief executive officer and the first major change under the leadership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Berrada, 46, joined the Old Trafford club from rivals Manchester City, where he was Chief Football Operations Officer for the City Football Group.

The move has been labelled as a major coup for United, who have acquired one of the most important men behind the scenes during City’s most successful years.

Ratcliffe and the INEOS team have been labelled as a key part of the move after their 25 per cent stake in the club was announced last month.

Berrada was not one of the names in the headlines when it was confirmed that United would be looking for a new CEO after the departure of Richard Arnold.

Yet, he has already explained the three biggest leadership traits he possesses and they offer clear differences to what United have become accustomed to and is exactly what they need.

Speaking in an interview whilst in his role at Manchester City, Berrada explained: “In my opinion, the top three qualities that a leader should have is; Number one, being able to articulate a very clear vision.

“Number two is what I call leading by example. I think a leader should be at the forefront of what the team is trying to achieve.

“And number three is this idea of being collaborative and involving – creating a platform that allows everyone to express their views and to share their ideas will make the team a lot stronger.”

Perhaps the most important change is the second point that Berrada made. Arnold often looked to delegate footballing matters when he was in the role, simply because of his lack of experience in footballing matters.

However, being experienced in the different areas will allow Berrada to lead by example and be a crucial element in the different elements needed.

The mention of “collaboration” also suggests that Berrada could be a great point of contact between the top and the bottom. And with there being two different tops – Ratcliffe/INEOS and the Glazers – it is important to have the right man in between.

Berrada’s experience at both Manchester City and Barcelona shows that he’s an expert in position, and whilst this will be a different challenge at Old Trafford, in a higher role, it appears that he knows the fundamental skills that Ratcliffe wanted in his new CEO.