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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has leapt to the defence of the Glazer family's ownership of United. The Glazers have faced fierce criticism from supporters over their running of the club since their controversial leveraged buyout in 2005 left United burdened with massive debt - currently standing at £725million.

Supporter groups expressed their fury at the takeover two decades ago. British tycoon Ratcliffesnapped up a 27.7 per cent shareholding in the Red Devils through a $1.2bn agreement at the beginning of 2024 following negotiations with the Glazer family.

The Ineos chief executive was given control over football and strategic decisions at the club. The 72-year-old has now offered his thoughts on the divisive majority shareholders of United during an appearance on The Times' Business Podcast.

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"They get a bad rap... but they are really nice people and they are really passionate about the club," he said.

When questioned about his working relationship with the family, Ratcliffe revealed they were happy to allow him to take the reins. "That probably sums it up," he added.

"We're local, and they're the other side of the pond. That's a long way away to try and manage a football club as big as complex as Manchester United. We're here with feet on the ground."

Ratcliffe has been unable to turn around United's struggles on the field since his Ineos group took control of football operations at Old Trafford. The Red Devils ended up 15th last season - their worst finish in the Premier League era.

One significant decision made by the British boss was to bring in head coach Ruben Amorim, whose future at United has been under scrutiny due to the team's ongoing slump under his leadership.

However, Ratcliffe dismissed any speculation about the Portuguese manager being shown the door.

When questioned about the possibility of the Glazers intervening and instructing him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe firmly stated that such a situation would not occur.

United are set to return to the pitch following the international break with an away match against Liverpool on Sunday, 19 October (4:30pm kick-off UK time).

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