Manchester United’s new co-owner, Jim Ratcliffe, has expressed the need for the club to learn from rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, acknowledging them as “enemies” in the football arena. Ratcliffe, who recently acquired a 27.7 percent stake in the club through his company INEOS, aims to revitalize the team’s former glory.
The English giants, once under the legendary management of Alex Ferguson, have faced a decline since his retirement in 2013. Ratcliffe, a self-proclaimed United fan, echoed Ferguson’s iconic phrases about rivals, referring to City as the “noisy neighbours” and expressing a desire to “knock both of them off their perch.” Despite considering City and Liverpool as adversaries, Ratcliffe acknowledged the valuable lessons United can learn from their well-organized structures, driven environments, and successful organizations.
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Taking steps to restructure off the field, Ratcliffe has appointed Omar Berrada from City as the new chief executive and is working on securing Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as the sporting director. However, he emphasized the need for patience, stating that the transformation would take two to three seasons, not an overnight change.
Ratcliffe, a British billionaire, emphasized that his investment is not financially driven, stating that he already makes “enough money in chemicals, oil, and gas.” Looking ahead, he outlined plans for either redeveloping Old Trafford or constructing a new stadium, recognizing that the current 74,000 capacity venue has “fallen behind” compared to other leading clubs in the past two decades. Despite the challenges, Ratcliffe promised fans a dedicated three-year plan to return United to the top of English and European football.
