Tom Brady ends ties with Birmingham City in shock announcement

Birmingham City have announced the departure of Tom Brady as a minority investor in the football club. The NFL icon joined the Blues as a minority investor and advisory board chairman under Knighthead Capital in 2023. Brady ‘s time at St Andrews has seen the club face a turbulent period, most notably their relegation to League One in 2024. He has taken an active role in a number of decisions during this time, including the controversial call to sack John Eustace and replace him with England legend Wayne Rooney in their relegation season. While Birmingham have since returned to the Championship – with Brady seemingly focused on delivering Premier League football and a new 62,000-seater stadium – it has now been revealed the US sporting icon will play no further part at the club. The seven-time Super Bowl winner leaves the Blues top of the Championship table following victory over Swansea on Saturday. Birmingham City statement Birmingham announced the shock news of Brady’s departure in a statement on X on Monday. The club wrote: “Birmingham City Football Club expresses its sincere gratitude to Tom Brady for his involvement with and unwavering support for the club over the last three years. “It was truly amazing to have someone with Tom’s experience and passion associated with the club, and the club looks forward to continuing to build on that foundation from the training ground to the Birmingham community.” Brady’s decision to take up a role with Birmingham came just a year after his retirement from the NFL. His arrival at St Andrews was hailed, with his vast experience of success in America expected to help drive the club into a new era. At the time, Blues chairman welcomed his appointment, saying: “Tom Brady joining the Birmingham City team is a statement of intent. We are setting the bar at world class. “Tom is both investing [as well as] committing his time and extensive expertise. “As chair of the advisory board Tom will have a direct impact on the club. The men’s, women’s, and academy teams are going to benefit from [his] knowledge. “The goal that Tom has committed to is to make Birmingham City a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.” While Brady leaves with Birmingham well placed to achieve his ultimate goal of Premier League football, his involvement at the club has been far from plain sailing. Relegation to League One in 2024 ended the Blues’ 13-year stay in the Championship, while the media spotlight he brought had its pitfalls. The release of the Amazon docuseries Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues brought backlash from fans who felt the NFL legend came across as elitist and out-of-touch. Brady further alienated parts of the fanbase and former staff by publicly labelling certain players ‘lazy and entitled’ during the fallout from the relegation campaign. However, last season, after they bounced back to the second tier, the 49-year-old went on the record to guarantee promotion to the Premier League . When questioned about their chances in February, he said: “Really good question. We have three big home games coming up. We’re going up. That’s the goal, man. It’s up to those guys, they gotta get it done.” And the Blues now look as though they could be on course to achieve exactly that, albeit without Brady in their corner. Chris Davies’ side lead the Championship after 15 matches, level on 19 points alongside Middlesbrough and Stoke.