LONDON, Jan 14 — Peter McCormick will take over as interim chair of the Premier League when Gary Hoffman steps down on Feb. 1, the league said on Thursday.

The 69-year-old McCormick, a lawyer who has also been interim chairman of the Football Association since November 2020, received the backing of all 20 clubs.

"(Peter) is well known to us all and a trusted pair of hands who will see us through this transition period. The Board’s aim is to have a new permanent Chair in place before the start of next season,” said chief executive Richard Masters.

Hoffman resigned in November following controversy concerning the takeover of Newcastle United by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium. — Reuters