Former Man United chief Ed Woodward approached over board role with Crystal Palace owners Eagle Football Holdings – three years after his acrimonious Old Trafford departure
- The ex-chief executive left the club after nine years running business operations
- Woodward criticised for prioritising commercial interests over on-pitch results
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Former Manchester United chief Ed Woodward has been informally approached over the prospect of joining the board of Eagle Football Holdings, the group which owns stakes in clubs including Crystal Palace and Lyon.
The ex-chief executive left Old Trafford after resigning in 2021 against a backdrop of unpopularity at the Premier League big beasts.
During Woodward’s 17-year tenure, the club failed to win Premier League honours and fans criticised his emphasis on commerciality over the club’s success on the pitch.
Since leaving the club in early 2022, Woodward has held positions at an AI sports firm, an esports company, and as a trustee for the Bloomsbury Football Foundation.
But the executive could be primed for a more direct role within the game after catching the eye of the holdings company, which also owns stakes in Brazil side Botafogo, Belgium’s RW Molenbeek, and FC Florida.
Woodward is believed to be under consideration by the group’s owner, American businessman John Textor, as he diversifies his board alongside preparations to file with US regulators for an initial public offering.
Ed Woodward has been approached about returning to football with a role on the board of the owners of Crystal Palace and Lyon
John Textor is preparing an initial public offering for his Eagle Football Holdings this year
As per Sky Sports, recent weeks have seen Textor add Alex Bafer, Frank Patterson, and Sam Lynn as directors, with investment banks including Stifel and TD Cowen, and UBS, working on the deal.
Last year saw Textor attempt a number of different moves within the English game, with Eagle Football Holdings one of the bidders holding talks with the former ownership to take over Everton.
The group were eventually outbid by the Friedkin Group, whose purchase of the club was confirmed in mid-December.
Mail Sport also revealed that the group were close to accepting a £230million bid for Crystal Palace from global investment firm Sportsbank for their 45 per cent stake in the south London club, but amid an uptick in results for Oliver Glasner’s side, plans to sell have been placed on ice.
Despite leaving in 2022, Woodward is believed to have received a windfall from Man United’s sale to Sir Jim Ratcliffe due to his retaining a minority shareholding in the club.
