Avengers director Russo joins Sheffield Utd board

Hollywood film director Joe Russo has joined the board of Championship side Sheffield United.

The Blades, who are second in the second tier, were taken over by American-based consortium COH Sports last month.

Alongside his brother Anthony, Joe Russo directed four films in the Marvel cinematic universe including Avengers: Endgame, the second-highest grossing film of all time.

Len Komorski, who previously served as the chief executive of NBA side Cleveland Cavaliers, and real estate businessman Terry Ahern have also joined the club’s board.

This will not be Russo’s first taste of British football. He was pictured alongside Hollywood actors Paul Rudd and Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham’s 3-1 win over Boreham Wood in April 2023, a game that saw the Red Dragons, co-owned by Reynolds, win promotion back to the English Football League.

The Russo brothers are set to return to the Marvel franchise with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, scheduled to be released in 2026 and 2027 respectively.

“We are delighted to welcome Joe, Len and Terry to the board of directors of Sheffield United Football Club,” co-chairmen Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy told the club website.

“We want to see the Blades competing in the top-flight of English football consistently, not just on a one-off basis. An important element of this is ensuring we have the highest quality team not just on the pitch but in the boardroom as well.

“Each of Joe, Len and Terry bring outstanding capabilities and decades of experience to the table as we plan for the long term, develop the brand and ensure we have the best infrastructure in place.”