Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore announced Thursday that he will leave his job by the end of the year.
Scudamore has been in the position since 2014 after serving as the league's CEO from November 1999. Prior to that, he was chief executive of the Football League from 1997.
Richard Scudamore statement on leaving the Premier League after almost 20 years pic.twitter.com/Nrz6I7FbDP
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) June 7, 2018
In a statement released by the league, Scudamore said: "It's an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long, it is too much fun to be called a job ...
"The Premier League is in great shape and the future is bright, of course there are still many things to improve and constant challenges, but that is what makes it so exhilarating,"
Premier League: “Executive Chairman, Richard Scudamore, intends to relinquish his position by the end of 2018. He has led the organisation for almost 20 years overseeing significant growth in attendance, viewing, reach and community involvement both in the UK and globally.”
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) June 7, 2018
Though it had been in existence for seven years prior to his arrival, it's under Scudamore's direction that the Premier League became the extraordinarily lucrative, globally broadcast phenomenon it is today.
He has courted controversy, however, for seemingly facilitating the widening of the gap between top-flight and lower-league football. He also came under scrutiny for the league's radical proposals, like the introduction of a 39th game to be played abroad - a plan which has been shelved for some time.
