Roel De Vries to leave Manchester City and City Football Group | OneFootball

The City Football Group are poised to see Roel De Vries – Group Chief Operating Officer – depart the business for a new CEO position in the entertainment industry.

The departure marks a significant shift in the executive landscape at the Etihad Stadium, with De Vries viewed by some within the club to have been a cornerstone of its commercial expansion since arriving from Nissan in 2020.

De Vries’ Impact on the City Football Group

De Vries’ tenure has been defined by the aggressive globalisation of the ‘City brand’, overseeing the acquisition of several clubs across the globe and the diversification of the group’s revenue streams beyond ‘traditional matchday income’.

As Manchester City navigates a transitional period – marked by the arrival of Hugo Viana and the expected departure of Pep Guardiola – the loss of a key operational figure like De Vries represents further major structural change.

As per a report from Yahoo Finance, Stage Entertainment have announced the appointment of Roel De Vries as their next CEO, effective 1 May, 2026.

As such, De Vries will depart his role of Group Chief Operating Officer within City Football Group (CFG), where he oversaw CFG’s “evolution from a football-centric entity to a diversified entertainment and hospitality business, building commercial capabilities and driving revenue growth through strategic investments”.

Offering his reaction to the move, De Vries said, “I have been incredibly proud to work for organizations with strong brands and compelling customer propositions.

“Stage Entertainment shares these attributes and I am pleased to have the opportunity to build on Stage’s excellence by delivering exceptional live experiences for our audiences, and creative and commercial excellence for our partners.”

Who Will Lead CFG’s Commercial Future?

The timing of De Vries’ departure comes as CFG continues to integrate its most recent clubs and expand its footprint in the North American and Asian markets.

It now remains to be seen who CFG will target as a successor, with the aim being to balance sporting integrity and the ‘entertainment-first’ approach that De Vries seemingly championed alongside the likes of Ferran Soriano.

CFG may look internally for a replacement to ensure continuity, as seen in the case of Omar Berrada’s exit for Manchester United and the internal restructuring process that followed.