Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales will be stepping down from his position at the club after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer. After joining Newcastle United in August 2022, within the first year of the £305m Saudi Arabian-backed takeover, he has helped in taking the Northeast England club to new heights of success, including League Cup final and UEFA Champions League appearances.
Notably, Newcastle United had reached the final of the EFL Cup in the 2022-23 season under CEO Darren Eales, their first such appearance in over 24 years. They also finished in fourth place in the Premier League in the same season, to make their return to the UEFA Champions League, where their performances were quite decent in a group involving AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund, despite finishing fourth and last.
Darren Eales will continue to lead the club's executive team until a successor is appointed: Newcastle United
In their post on the official X account, Newcastle United revealed the news of the blood cancer diagnosis of their CEO Darren Eales before stating that he will continue in his job until a replacement of him is appointed. They wrote, ““#NUFC CEO Darren Eales is to step down from his position after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer. He will continue to lead the club's executive team until a successor is appointed. Our thoughts are with you, @DEalesNUFC”.
The statement from Darren Eales after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer was about how he wanted to prioritise his health and family. He was quoted as saying, “Being CEO of Newcastle United is an extraordinary privilege and I am incredibly proud to be part of the club's exciting journey. 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.”
At the same time, Darren Eales also spoke about continuing in his job until a successor is appointed. He said, “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.”