Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore to Undergo Heart Surgery

Richard Scudamore, who has served as the English Premier League's chief executive officer since 1999, is scheduled to undergo routine heart surgery next week.  

Paul Kelso of Sky News reported the news Thursday:

Per an official press release from PremierLeague.com, Scudamore isn't expected to miss much time as a result of the procedure:

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Scudamore will undergo surgery the week commencing June 9 and expects to be playing an active role in the functions of the Premier League soon after, albeit remotely. He will return to the office at the end of July in time for the build-up to the 2014-15 Barclays Premier League season. ... Both the clubs and the Premier League staff wish him a successful operation and a speedy recovery. 

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According to Oliver Kay of The Times, this particular surgery has been planned by Scudamore for quite some time:

Scudamore has been under fire as of late after the release of what some have dubbed sexist emails. Despite that, the EPL has stood firmly behind Scudamore, and it appears as though the issue will no longer be a factor as he avoided disciplinary action, per Charles Sale of Daily Mail.

Regardless of how people feel about Scudamore's controversial emails, there is no question that the EPL has experienced a great deal of success under his watch. With that in mind, it isn't particularly surprising that the clubs have supported him.

As much as Scudamore's heart surgery has been described as minor, there are obviously always concerns since heart procedures can be tricky business.

The 54-year-old CEO has seemingly been in good health on the surface, so hopefully this surgery is successful and effective in eradicating whatever issues he may have.

The timing of the procedure certainly doesn't seem like an accident since it will take place during the EPL's offseason and he will be able to recover during the World Cup. If all goes well, Scudamore should have no problem being back at the helm by the start of the 2014-15 season and calling the shots for one of the world's most successful sports leagues.

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