In Manchester, where the club’s identity has long been carried by supporters from far beyond the city and the country, comments by Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe have prompted a sharp response from the Manchester Muslim Supporters’ Club.
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Ratcliffe, the British billionaire and INEOS founder who has been a Monaco tax resident since 2020, argued in a weekend interview that Britain is less appreciative of wealthy people and “wealth creators” than the United States.
The Manchester United co-owner, whose wealth is estimated at £15 billion, or about €17.5 billion, said Americans tend to celebrate people who generate wealth, while he believes there is now resentment towards riches in the United Kingdom.
He also delivered a bleak assessment of the country’s direction, reflecting on Britain’s former empire, its role in winning two world wars and what he described as a history of decent and honest people. Ratcliffe said he now felt the nation was in decline.
In his view, Britain has not found leaders prepared to confront immigration or the welfare system. He said difficult action would eventually be required on both issues.
Ratcliffe has previously drawn criticism for remarks on immigration, including a claim that Britain had been “colonised by immigrants”.
Supporters answer Ratcliffe’s remarks
The Manchester Muslim Supporters’ Club rejected the co-owner’s comments and pointed to the international character of life around Old Trafford.
In its response, the group said United’s players, employees, matchday staff, security teams and supporters come from many nations, cultures, ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds. It added that the club could not be what it is without those people.
The supporters’ group said Manchester United should not belong emotionally to investment funds, shareholders or billionaires. It called for change at the club and said both Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, United’s leading shareholders, should leave.
