Dave Braithwaite will no longer hold his position at Manchester United

Recently, Manchester United announced personnel changes: Sir Dave Braithwaite will no longer serve as the club’s sporting director. This marks an important adjustment to Manchester United’s management team by Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of Ineos Group.

Braithwaite leaves Manchester United to return to Ineos’ sports business

According to multiple media reports, Braceford will return to the Ineos Group to continue overseeing the group’s other sports projects. Previously, he had temporarily stepped away from his role as head coach of the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team to focus on football matters at Manchester United.

As one of the key figures at Ineos, the new owner of Manchester United, Braceford has played a crucial role within the club over the past few years.
He led reforms in several areas of the club, including a £50 million investment to upgrade the Carrington training ground.

However, Ratcliffe now wants Bressford to refocus on the group’s overall sports strategy, particularly the development of cycling. Although Ineos has reduced some of its sports investments in recent years (such as ending its sponsorship of the New Zealand rugby team “All Blacks”), it remains committed to cycling.

Manchester United’s poor performance in recent years and frequent management changes

Since Ineos took over Manchester United, there have been several personnel changes at the top of the club, many of which have sparked controversy among fans and employees.

For example, football director Dan Ashworth, who was well-liked at Newcastle, was fired after only five months at Manchester United.In addition, several employees have been laid off, raising questions about the stability of the club’s internal management.

In the 2024/25 season, Manchester United’s performance was disappointing, finishing 15th in the Premier League, their worst performance in the club’s history. After losing to Tottenham in the Europa League final, they also lost the opportunity to participate in next season’s Champions League, which had a significant impact on the club’s revenue and reputation.

Currently, Manchester United’s new head coach Ruben Amorin has just taken office, but his start has not been smooth. This has further raised doubts about the decision-making ability of the club’s management.

It is worth mentioning that last summer, the Ratcliffe team decided to keep then-head coach Erik ten Hag, but soon after, they suddenly fired him. This inconsistent approach has left many people confused.

Ineos will continue to control Manchester United’s direction

In addition to Manchester United, Ineos also owns French Ligue 1 club Nice. Breathford will continue to be involved in the operation of this project in the future. However, Nice also failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, indicating that the French club also faces challenges.

Overall, Bresford’s departure marks a new chapter for Manchester United. Ratcliffe hopes that this personnel shake-up will bring the club a clearer strategic direction and development path.

However, given the recent personnel changes and declining on-field performance, Manchester United will likely need more time and a stable plan to return to its former glory.