They do not know football or the world of football.” “They (INEOS) made us believe that we were going to be a great team and that we were going to play in the top three places in the league every year, but instead, they don’t buy good players and they don’t hire good coaches. The French newspaper L’Equipe hailed him as the “new boss of the Mediterranean”, saying Nice had never before had an owner of such vast means. Sir Jim, 70, joked about not only taking on Manchester United in the Champions League but also beating them, saying he wished to own Nice as long as he is alive and pointing out that INEOS does not often sell on its businesses. In interviews with French journalists, the Ratcliffe family spoke ambitiously. When he acquired the club in 2019, Ratcliffe and his brother, Bob, who was installed as INEOS’ head of football, spoke of becoming French football’s main challengers to Paris Saint-Germain, who have won nine of the past 11 Ligue 1 titles under the ownership of Qatar Sport Investments (QSI). It is, after all, the flagship football property in the INEOS portfolio, which also includes Swiss side FC Lausanne, acquired in 2017, and RC Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Discussions continue, with the likely direction of travel oscillating depending on who you talk to and when.īut as United supporters wait for clarity, it serves to examine the success or otherwise of Ratcliffe’s ownership at Nice. US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management is among other investment groups to have offered capital to potential bidders and the Glazer family. The Qataris have now made five offers to purchase United outright, buying the Glazers out of the club entirely, while Ratcliffe’s offer is to seize control of the club and become the majority shareholder. Ratcliffe has put himself front and centre, visiting Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium and Carrington training base for a guided tour of the facilities by club officials and Raine, the merchant bank handling discussions on behalf of the Glazer family. Should all six Glazer siblings decide to sell - an outcome which in itself remains uncertain - then he must beat competition from the Nine Two Foundation, fronted by Sheikh Jassim, the son of the former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Mohammed bin Thani Al Thani (known as HBJ). Yet when the Glazer family, who own Manchester United, announced last November they were exploring “strategic alternatives” around the club’s ownership, Ratcliffe rapidly placed his hat in the ring. He has previously attempted to buy Chelsea and Newcastle United. He says he is a lifelong Manchester United supporter and he was in the stands when Sir Alex Ferguson’s most successful United team completed a treble by defeating Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in Barcelona in 1999. Ratcliffe was born in the north west of England and grew up on a council estate in Oldham. In recent times, Ratcliffe and INEOS are best known as one of two publicly declared bidders for Manchester United. "I am convinced he is ready to make the step up."Ījax dismissed rooky coach John Heitinga earlier this month after finishing third in the standings, 13 points behind champions Feyenoord.Nice were nearly four years into their ownership under INEOS, the petrochemicals giant founded by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, after a takeover was completed in the summer of 2019. "He has outperformed at every club where he has worked," Ajax football director Sven Mislintat said of the former ADO Den Haag and NAC Breda player. Steijn made his mark last year as he led modest Sparta Rotterdam to a sixth place finish in the Eredivisie, which was the team's best result in 27 years.ĭespite that achievement, the 49-year-old's appointment to the club who have won a record 36 Dutch league titles came as a surprise as he has spent most of his 12-year coaching career at smaller Dutch teams. AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Maurice Steijn has been appointed as Ajax Amsterdam's new head coach on a three-year contract, the Eredivisie club said on Wednesday following a poor season in which they failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 13 seasons.
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