Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has torn into co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe for the way his new regime has “destroyed everything” and doesn’t “respect” what the club stands for.
Ratcliffe’s ruthless streak is responsible for his enormous wealth after founding INEOS in 1998, but the way he has applied that to getting United back on course hasn’t come across well.
United’s everyday staff have felt the brunt of cost-cutting measures, with up to 450 to have lost their jobs by the time a second round of redundancies is completed. Benefits and perks are being stripped back, with the bottom line in front of everything, before looking after the club’s own.
The family of beloved former receptionist Kath Phipps were called to enquire about the status of her season tickets just days after her passing in December, although the club later claimed this was down to a misunderstanding once the story came to light.
Payments to a charity to support and connect ex-players from past generations, many of whom didn’t earn a lot of money from professional football, were also stopped amid much outcry. Gary Neville has since stepped in to help provide funding by organising a ticketed event with legends.
Cantona has now hit out at what he sees as the very “soul” of the club being killed, speaking at an event hosted by breakaway team FC United of Manchester.
“Since Ratcliffe arrived, this team of directors try to destroy everything and they don’t respect anybody. The soul of the team and the club is not in the players. All the people around is like a big family,” he said.
“I think it’s very important to respect these people like you respect your manager and teammates. Since Ratcliffe arrived, it’s the complete opposite. He doesn’t want Sir Alex Ferguson as an ambassador any more. He is more than a legend and I think we have to find this soul again. They even want to change the stadium. The stadium is iconic.”
Cantona also noted that his offer to help rebuild the club fell on deaf ears, as well as going on to admit that he would not be drawn to what United have become if he weren’t already a fan.
“I support United because I really love United,” he explained. “But now if I was a fan and I had to choose a club I don’t think I would choose United. I don’t feel close to these kind of decisions. They have another strategy, another project. Do you feel close to this project? I don’t think so. Maybe we are dreamers and they are more like an economy and a strategy. I hate this kind of thing.”
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