Greenpeace has urged Manchester United to snub and avoid bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Recently, Ratcliffe, through a spokesperson, declared his intention to buy United and confirmed he will be involved in the bidding process.
It was also confirmed that the Ineos billionaire held talks with United bosses hours before he made his public declaration.
Ratcliffe’s bid has been widely met with positivity, with Gary Neville even throwing his weight behind the 71-year-old.
However, Greenpeace in a statement has criticized the move and branded it as “sports washing.”
The Mirror reports, “The move has prompted outrage among environmentalists, who are convinced INEOS’s links with several sporting institutions is a tactic designed to take attention from the damage they claim the company’s business practices are doing to the planet.”
A Greenpeace UK spokesperson said, “Accepting this bid would be an awful own goal for Manchester United. Petrochemicals giant INEOS is just the latest fossil fuel company trying to use a popular sport to distract from their climate-wrecking business.”
“With interests in oil and gas, plastics and agrichemicals, INEOS has a hat-trick of environmental harms to its name. They are top of the table for plastic production in the UK and are one of the loudest voices in favour of fracking.”
The Greenpeace spokesperson urged United to consider whether they want to ruin their image by engaging in active discussions with an enemy of the planet.
The spokesperson added that accepting Ratcliffe’s bid would amount to accepting dirty money and would ultimately be a net negative for all parties.
United would however not be the first sports enterprise owned by Ineos.
Ratcliffe is the owner of OGC Nice and has interests in Formula 1, cycling, rugby union and even sailing.
