United had been one of the leading clubs involved in the breakaway project, before pulling out on Tuesday evening, and Woodward was singled out for criticism by the head of European football‘s governing body Aleksander Ceferin.
“I am extremely proud to have served United and it has been an honour to work for the world’s greatest football club for the past 16 years,” Woodward, who joined United in 2005 and took over in his current role in 2012, said in a statement.
We will not be participating in the European Super League.#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) 1618955812000
“The club is well positioned for the future and it will be difficult to walk away at the end of the year.
“The last 16 months have brought so many unique challenges… The financial impact on football clubs has been severe, but United have been one of the most robust and resilient in the face of extraordinary financial pressures.”
Woodward’s decision to leave his position came just as the plans for the Super League began to unravel after Manchester City announced they were planning to pull out of the planned breakaway which has received intense criticism and opposition.
Eventually, all six Premier League clubs, who had agreed to be part of the Super League, withdrew on Tuesday.
The Super League, which 12 of Europe’s top football clubs announced on Sunday that they planned to launch, argued it would increase revenues to the competing clubs and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game.
However, the sport’s governing bodies, other teams and fan organisations say it will increase the power and wealth of the elite clubs and the closed structure of the league goes against European football’s long-standing model.
