Friedkin Group poach Chris Chiang from Man United in boardroom coup as new role explained
Everton have agreed to bring Manchester United’s Chris Chiang into their sporting structure.
Chiang will take up the role of Head of Football Planning at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, according to a report from Training Ground Guru.
The report on 27 February claims that the 35-year-old will be in charge of long-term projects and strategy at Everton.
He had worked with the Red Devils for eight years, and hiring the supremo is the latest boardroom coup from the Friedkin Group.
Who is new Everton man Chris Chiang?
Chiang started out in accountancy with KPMG, before moving into his role with the Old Trafford club.
His chief task with the 20-time Premier League champions was developing a ‘proof of concept’ for the use of data science.
| Name | Role |
| Chris Chiang | Head of Football Planning |
| Angus Kinnear | CEO |
| Nick Cox | Technical Director |
| James Smith | Director of Scouting and Recruitment |
| Chris Howarth | Head of Football Strategy and Analytics |
| Nick Hammond | Head of Player Trading |
That role consisted of deciding which departments should be involved in the process, which roles were required and what appointments needed to be made.
Chiang’s role at Everton explained
His role at Everton will be focused on a similar thing to his role at United, with specific attention on long-term planning and strategy.
He will link up with Nick Cox, who was Academy Director with the Manchester club, before joining the Blues as Technical Director.
Everton’s senior leadership team comprises of Cox, Director of Scouting and Recruitment, James Smith, Head of Football Strategy and Analytics, Chris Howarth and Head of Player Trading, Nick Hammond.
Chiang will report to that team, in his new role with the Toffees, so it will likely help that he already knows Cox.
The fact that the Friedkins have appointed somebody to lead the long-term future of the club, is a good move, as there should be a clear vision as to how the Blues get back into contending for trophies and European football.
Hopefully, it will accelerate the speed at which the nine-time league winners can make their way back to the upper echelons of English football, where they ultimately belong, after such a long time of struggles.
The club has been lagging behind for so long, but it appears that the new ownership has a plan to take them up the league and get them to where they have not been for a significant period.
For more on the Friedkin Group and Everton, check out Football Insider.