Jim Ratcliffe, billionaire and enterprising sports investor, wants to take over Manchester United. The Ineos boss stages this as a return home, the main thing for the fans is that success finally returns to Old Trafford.
Jim Ratcliffe likes to present himself as a patriot. The billionaire founder of the Ineos Group is one of those British business giants who have campaigned for an exit from the EU. After Brexit, Ratcliffe announced that he would go among the car manufacturers and find a successor for the Land Rover Defender to produce.
After several facelifts, the original make looked like any family SUV to him. And it had hardly anything in common with that angular off-road vehicle that was the symbol of the English landed gentry for decades – and also the favorite car of the Queen.
Ineos boss Ratcliffe bids for Manchester United
Currently planning Ratcliffeto help another icon of Britannia shine again: He is one of the interested parties who own the majority shares Manchester United want to take over. England’s record champions, hometown club of legends like Bobby Charlton, George Best or David Beckhamis currently still owned by the US entrepreneurial family Glazer. Die Glazers have put their club shares up for sale through a US bank, which could potentially go ahead in the spring.
To the prospective buyers next to Ratcliffe counts Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khaifa Al-Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bankson of the former Emir. Manchester United owned by Qatar, this would be final”the end of good old football” he prophesied Guardian grim. Investors from the Arabian Peninsula are already in charge of Newcastle and Manchester City.
An English business boss like Ratcliffeon top of that as Sir James ennobled, as the new United owner – this seems less problematic in terms of sports policy. At least at first glance: 70-year-old Ratcliffe has been a declared United fan since childhood. He comes from a suburb of Manchester and grew up in rather modest circumstances. He did not graduate as a chemical engineer from the English elite college, but from the University of Birmingham.
Ratcliffe made his fortune mainly with investments in the petroleum industry, he bought and sold shares in refineries and chemical companies, and finally founded the powerful Ineos group.
Cycling, Formula 1, Rugby, Sailing; Football – Ratcliffe’s sponsorship
In sports, Ineos now frequently appears as a sponsor. First and foremost at the cycling team of the same name, successor to Team Sky, with the Ratcliffe successfully docked with the cycling boom on the island.
Ineos is also the main sponsor of the Mercedes team in Formula 1, finances the British sailing team for the America’s Cup and since last year also the All Blacks, New Zealand’s famous rugby team. In football owns Ratcliffe the majority OGC Nice and at the Swiss first division club Lausanne Sports.
Greenwashing allegations about fracking investments
Because of his numerous investments, the chemical entrepreneur was repeatedly accused of wanting to “Greenwashing” operate and polish up its image. Especially since Ratcliffe has invested heavily in the ecologically controversial fracking on the British mainland, according to its own statements, a quarter of a billion pounds. In the north of England in particular, Ineos holds licenses in many places to drill for gas deep underground.
Also the Ineosoffroaders does not drive electrically, but with a six-cylinder petrol engine. Ratcliffe does not have the supposedly British original manufactured in a new car plant as originally announced Wales, but in French Alsace. The newspaper Yorkshire Post then called him a “Leave Hypocrite“, a “Brexit hypocrite”. It is fitting that he moved to Monaco years ago.
is in the British media Ratcliffe not necessarily known as an entrepreneur who shies away from potentially unpopular opinions. He likes to hand out public statements, against trade unions, against politics or citizens’ initiatives, which are his Fracking-Put holes in the way.
Billion investment at United and a piece of romance
That he now wants to make several billion loose, um United taking over is probably also personally motivated. “Maybe it’s about his legacy“, says Kieran Maguirean economist from the University of Liverpool who has been dealing with investors and money flows in English football for years: “There is certainly a certain romance involved. He’s a boy from Manchester. He’s received a lot of credit for his entrepreneurial success, but maybe he wants more. He wants to show the people in Manchester: I’m one of you. And I’m the one who takes Manchester United back to the top.“
Ratcliffe should already last year at the Glazers knocked before their plans for a possible sale became concrete. In the Premier League he could embody a different type of investor than the sheikhs and oligarchs with their penchant for flaunting. The Ineos boss is considered an entrepreneur who invests wisely and in a considered manner.
Sporting record at United pathetic
Money, on the other hand, was not the problem in the end United, rather there was a lack of a viable, sporty concept. In the past ten years, the record champions have actually spent more on players than any other top English club. Measured against this, the sporting track record is almost pathetic: A Europa-Leaguetitle (2016) and winning the League Cup in February. The view, those seeking orientation Red Devils lead to success again, should be for Ratcliffethe “Manchester Boy“, represent a special temptation.
Betting between Ratcliffe and with Qatar
There are currently many indications of a bet after the Glazers According to media reports, they apparently want to turn the price screw again and speculate on higher sales proceeds, which should go in the direction of six billion pounds. Ratcliffes The last bid was £4.5 billion, roughly the same size as its competitor from Qatar.
Lots of fans in Manchester prefer to see Ratcliffe at the top of the club, not only because they finally hated them Glazers want out of town. “For the fans, there couldn’t be a better club owner than a billionaire who’s also a fan. Not only because they associate it with the hope that he will spend a lot of money. But because they believe that he knows the culture of the club and the mentality of the fans“, says football economist Maguire.
At the same time, however, he points out that Ratcliffe as an investor in football has not been able to show any great success so far. “The question of why things should go better at United has so far been ignored by many fans. Possibly because it doesn’t quite fit this romantic story that he’s coming back. And with him the success.“