‘They’ve been so much better without our interference” – Jim Ratcliffe opens up on INEOS-owned Nice | OneFootball

Manchester United minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has opened up on the second football club he owns a stake in in Europe’s top 5 leagues: OGC Nice. INEOS acquired Les Aiglons in 2019 for a reported £100m, but Ratcliffe has never really been a regular visitor at Allianz Rivera. The English businessman has hinted that Nice weren’t good enough for his liking. “With Nice, in the French league, you can buy a club for £100million. It’s much cheaper access”, said Ratcliffe to The Times. “But I don’t particularly enjoy going to watch Nice because there are some good players but the level of football is not high enough for me to get excited.”

As Nice and Manchester United both featured in the Europa League, UEFA requested the Ligue 1 club to stop making contact with INEOS to comply with UEFA rules regarding multi-club ownership. Nice’s shares have reportedly been placed in a trust until June 30, 2025.

However, out of Manchester United and Nice, it is Les Aiglons who are the most likely INEOS-owned team to qualify for the Champions League through their league standings. Nice are currently third in Ligue 1 whereas Manchester United are 15th in the Premier League. “The best season that Nice has had is this one where we’ve not been allowed to get involved because of multi-club ownership rules,” Ratcliffe adds. “They’ve been so much better without our interference! Maybe there’s a lesson there as well, you know.”

GFFN | Bastien Cheval