Darren Eales has been diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer and will step down as Newcastle United’s chief executive (CEO).
Eales will continue to lead the executive team while the search for a successor takes place, with the news coming following a summer of change at leadership level at St James’ Park.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the club’s chairman and governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Newcastle’s 85 per cent majority owners, has initiated a “carefully considered search process” to find a new CEO.
Having joined Newcastle in August 2022 from Atlanta United of Major League Soccer (MLS), Eales became the first CEO post-takeover. During his inaugural season at the helm, the club qualified for the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish and reached the 2023 Carabao Cup final.
The 52-year-old oversaw a restructure during the summer following the departure of Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi as co-owners, assuming greater responsibility for the day-to-day running of Newcastle. He appointed Paul Mitchell as sporting director, leading to tension between Eddie Howe, the head coach, and the executive team.
But Eales is set to leave Newcastle once his replacement is found to concentrate on his health and family, who relocated to the north-east. He intends to stay in the area, with his nine-year-old twin boys “fans for life”.
“Being CEO of Newcastle United is an extraordinary privilege and I am incredibly proud to be part of the club’s exciting journey,” Eales told the club’s website.
“However, it has become apparent to me that now is the right time to make this decision so that I can prioritise my health and my family.
“In the short term, it will be business as usual in terms of running the club’s day-to-day operations, and I will give my full support to a transitionary period that will enable the board to carefully assess and appoint my successor.
“I want to extend my sincere thanks to the club’s supporters, ownership, players and staff. I’m proud of what we have collectively achieved and I’m excited to see what’s ahead for everyone as the club builds towards a future of sustained success.”
Eales has been at Newcastle since 2022 (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Eales will continue working for now, insisting he is currently “well” and it is “business as usual” as the handover process takes place. He is serving a notice period before his cancer treatment is set to begin.
He says he did “not want to leave the club in the lurch” and is working through a “transition period”.
Al-Rumayyan added: “All of us who are connected with Newcastle United are very saddened by this news. Our thoughts are with Darren and his family and we send him every good wish for a full recovery.
“On a personal level, Darren has been a great partner to me and to our fans, players, ownership and staff.
“On behalf of the club and its owners, I want to thank Darren for his service and dedication to Newcastle United. He has made a significant contribution to the club’s progress during his time as CEO, helping to build a strong foundation for Newcastle United’s success. We fully understand the difficult decision he has made.
“We will work closely with Darren to hand over the CEO role at the appropriate moment following a carefully considered search process, and he will continue to have the full support of the board and the Newcastle United family now and in the future.”
(Top photo: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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