Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester United that pinching executive Omar Berrada from their rivals won’t solve all their problems.
United have hired Berrada as their new CEO ending a near 10-year stay at City.
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The first major appointment since the announcement of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement at Old Trafford is considered a coup for United but Guardiola insists the move won’t automatically bridge the gap with City.
“Kevin De Bruyne is still in Man City,” said Guardiola.
“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 [Berrada] is a lovely person, incredible character, incredible professional.
“Yesterday I saw him, we hugged and I wished him all the best, deeply I wish him the best because he’s a fantastic person.
“But 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 been a key part of City’s off-field structure, spending four years as chief operating officer at the Etihad Stadium before a promotion to City Football Group’s chief football operations officer in 2020.
His work alongside chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, director of football Txiki Begiristain and CEO Ferran Soriano has helped City to an unprecedented era of success culminating in last season’s treble.
Guardiola admits Berrada will be missed but insists the club will “move on.”
“Obviously his knowledge goes to United, that’s the reality,” said Guardiola.
“When you buy a player from another club you buy the knowledge that this player has had in the past with other managers and team mates. That is normal. In this club, these situations happen.
“The club will move forward. Maybe we’ll find a way to replace him and we’ll continue, because the new guy is coming maybe from here, Ferran and Khaldoon will decide.
“We will be well prepared, we will adapt and adjust and move forward. We learned a lot from Omar but he’s learned a lot from the club and now he’s gone to United.”
