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INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has admitted that Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, charmed him when he travelled to discuss matters to do with the club takeover.
Sir Jim is one of the candidates seeking to buy a majority of the club and become the next custodian of United.
His main competitor is Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani through his Nine Two Foundation investment vehicle.
In an extract from a new book about Sir Jim, Times Sport shed light on the British businessman, his passion for football and his insight on a number of issues including the United sale.
Sir Jim divulged that when word got out the Glazers were strongly considering parting with the Red Devils, he and his advisors wasted no time in flying out to meet the American family.
“We went to see them and they were charming.”
“They [Avram, Joel, Kevin, Bryan, Darcie and Edward, children of the late Malcolm Glazer] are all very nice, despite the press they get. Josh was really hospitable. But the club is owned equally by siblings and you can’t talk to that many siblings, really.”
The 70-year-old explained in detail about his failed attempts at acquiring Chelsea before the London outfit was sold to Clearlake Capital, a consortium led by Todd Boehly.
Sir Jim admitted that INEOS probably got into the race too late and that was their main undoing. He remarked that he tried to speak to the government and Chelsea fan groups, “but Boris [Johnson] and company didn’t want to know.”
More surprisingly, Sir Jim disclosed that INEOS was in talks to acquire a majority stake in Barcelona when current president Joan Laporta was just assuming power.
Laporta inherited a mess from the previous regime. Giving a peek of what his tenure at United may be if his bid proves successful, Sir Jim pointed out that he advised Barca chiefs against selling away their assets such as TV rights simply for short-term gain.
Sir Jim stated, “We told them, “Don’t do it, guys – we’ll put in two or three billion, renovate the Nou Camp and have 50 per cent ownership – and sign a deed to say we’d never sell. Our interest was in football alone, not making money. I think it would have worked well.”
“We talked about it but, in the end, they didn’t think they could go to the fans with it. The road they are going down is a disaster. We tried to point that out and they said, ‘We know, but . . .’ They are all short-termers [Barcelona regimes] because the president comes in, does it for five years and hands the mess over to someone else.”
Sir Jim added that he has been a United supporter all his life. He narrated an instance during which he scaled a wall at Elland Road to watch the Red Devils play.
He and his father were avid fans.
On his favourite United player ever, Sir Jim indicated that he idolised Eric Cantona.
On the French striker, the petrochemical mogul exclaimed, “I’ve never met him. Eric transformed the club. He changed the fortunes of Alex Ferguson. When Eric came, United hadn’t won the league for 26 years. He’d just been at Leeds, where they won the League for the first time in 18 years.”
“Then he comes to United and they win the league. He’s at the club five years – and one of those is the kung-fu kick so he’s really only there four full seasons. And we win the league in all those seasons. Oh, and he brought the class of ’92 along. Because he had presence. He was the figurehead of Manchester United.”
Sir Jim let slip that INEOS spend in excess of £300m a year on sport. Should United come under his umbrella, this will significantly increase.
He once again reiterated his position that football clubs are not money-making ventures but community assets with sentimental value and importance to society.
