Aston Villa have unexpectedly announced the departure of CEO Christian Purslow, who is stepping down after five years at the club.
Purslow, a former managing director of Liverpool, was appointed in September 2018, shortly after owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris acquired a majority share of the club.
Villa returned to the Premier League under Purslow’s watch, but his influential role in hiring Steven Gerrard backfired before his influence diminished following the appointment of Unai Emery last November.
The move therefore signals Villa’s desire to continue on the path Emery has forged, with the Spaniard leading the club to next season’s Europa Conference League after finishing seventh in the Premier League. He took charge when they were 14th, while they were 17th when Gerrard was sacked in October.
And amid links with Sevilla sporting director Monchi, which comes after Barcelona’s Mateu Alemany turned down a move to Villa, it would appear Purslow and the owners have come to an agreement that his input is no longer required.
“It has been a total privilege to lead Villa for the last five years. I am proud that I leave the club in a much better position on and off the pitch than when I arrived,” said Purslow.
“We are re-established in the Premier League; we now have a very competitive professional women’s team; we have outstanding academies for boys and girls; we have created a world class training ground and secured planning permission for an expansion and modernisation of our wonderful stadium.
“Thank you to everyone at Villa and our supporters who have made my time here so enjoyable.”
Owners Edens and Sawiris added: “We would like to thank Christian for his outstanding leadership of the Club over the last five seasons. He has overseen a transformation of the Club both on and off the pitch and delivered the ambitious turnaround plan he presented to us when he arrived in 2018. We are grateful for all he has done.”
More to follow
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/lkT95KN
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