Man Utd’s Jim Ratcliffe opposes ESL but causes a stir claiming ‘big 6’ needs to have more of a say

Man Utd’s Jim Ratcliffe opposes the ESL but causes a stir claiming the ‘big 6’ needs to have more of a say than the other 14 clubs.

Britain’s second richest person and a co-owner of Manchester United, gave a sit down interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua out in Monaco and made some rather interesting comments.

One stand out was saying that he felt the six ‘major’ clubs need to more influence when it comes to voting or changing things.

Various topics included Man Utd’s culture, managers and coaches, new management hires, Southampton, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe, player transfers, FFP rules, the Premier League, Man City, Nice, European Super League, Old Trafford, the FIFA Club World Cup and Man Utd women’s team.

The INEOS Chairman and Founder also talked about Brexit, UK economy, the upcoming UK general election, the Conservative Party, Labour’s Keir Starmer UK investment, Manchester, tax policies, the state of the manufacturing and chemicals industries across Europe and the US.

Oh. My. Word.

He isn’t even trying to hide it! It is a cartel in English football and we all know it. Who does he and who do these 6 clubs think they are!? Looking down their noses at everybody else!

The other 14, along with other clubs across the country, should have ditched… pic.twitter.com/FtJg6pzbta

— Magpie 24/7 (@Magpie24_7) June 29, 2024

Francine Lacqua asks: “Would you see something like a European Super League or…”

Jim: “Oh, gosh no.”

Francine: “Because of the rules or because, you know, you’re the biggest, most important club in the Premier League? Do you feel like you’re getting fair treatment because of all these rules?”

Jim: “I don’t think I have enough experience in understanding quite how Premier League works yet.

“I mean, I think everybody has an equal vote and there used to be, I believe, as was explained to me, there used to be a sort of coalition of the six major clubs who would have a certain level of influence in the Premiership.

“But that broke down after the Super club, you know, the European Super Club Initiative.

“And I think they need to be careful that the top six clubs and not disadvantaged because they don’t sort of get a reasonably strong say in the committee.

“Because at the end of the day it’s those top six or seven clubs that drive the Premiership that’s what the world’s interested in.”

He also sent a warning to the Premier League, saying: “I just think the Premiership needs to be careful it doesn’t get itself into an endless legal wrangle with lots and lots of clubs.

“Because, at the end of the day, the Premiership is probably the most successful sporting league in the world – certainly the most successful football league in the world – and we have this expression in the north of England: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“If you start interfering too much, bringing too much regulation in, then you finish up with the Manchester City issue, the Everton issue, the Nottingham Forest issue, and on and on and on.

“And if you’re not careful the Premiership is going to finish up spending more time in court than it is thinking about what’s good for the league.

“We’ve got the best league in the world. Don’t ruin that league, for heaven’s sake.”

His comes align him with what the owners of Manchester City, with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak saying something similar earlier in June.

Ratcliffe also opposes the Premier League’s plans to introduce “anchoring”, which is a spending cap that linking the budget of the top teams to the income of those at the bottom.

“What would anchoring do? That would inhibit the top clubs in the Premiership,” he added.

“The last thing you want in the Premiership is the top clubs not being able to compete with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG – that’s absurd. And if it does, then it ceases to be the finest league in the world.

“And then you’ve got the government regulator. If you’ve got a government regulator then at the end of the day they will interfere and that won’t be good.

“So I have a few concerns about the Premiership, in that when Richard Scudamore ran it [from 1999-2018] it was a really fine league and it became extremely successful. Then everybody starts interfering and messing about and in my view that’s not good.”

Man Utd’s Jim Ratcliffe opposes the ESL but causes a stir claiming the ‘big 6’ needs to have more of a say, this is the Twitter users had to say…

@ToonBarmy3: @CMAgovUK might want to investigate this. Clearly advocating cartel behaviour in relation to 6 clubs at the expense of the other 14 in the Premier League.

@IanWhiteside8: The Big Six , Man Utd finished 8th 😂😂

@jimbergfeld1: It really makes me want to stop watching premier League football it’s sickening what’s the actual point of supporting the other 14 teams they may as well get rid of the so called 6 and the other 14 join the rest in reforming the football league ladder

@UtdRyan_: I’ve never known an owner to rattle as fanbase as much as Sir Jim has with the Geordies. You guys are so obsessed with him

@Pithy_Grimace: I love sir Jim. His petty grievance mentality is hilarious in itself, as is his making Man Utd even more dislikable than previously thought possible, but more than anything it’s how he blabs out loud what we all already suspected but could never actually prove.

@SteveLo78586586: Unbelievable, and said with no shame at all. Those comments warrant ‘scrutiny’ by the Premier League.

@carl_stoakes: Can’t stand anything to do with Utd or now, him. I hope they get shafted on all deals and stay a miserable team.

@GeordieOld: Coalition, is that the New Word for CARTEL?

@emmagregory23: Honestly the other 14 clubs should just refuse to play given the corruption is so blatant at this point.

@julie_shanks: How are the top 6 clubs determined? Value of the club? Results on the pitch? Position in the league at the end of a season?

@kylethomaswest: I’m genuinely surprised he’s come out saying this 🤣 I don’t watch a lot of his interviews, but he almost seems to hesitate a couple of times, as if he realises he probably shouldn’t be saying what he’s saying? This is shocking tbf 🤣🤣

@DavidBrooman2: Well Mr Ratcliffe I’m sure Man United finished 8th in Premier League

@EFCevs: They’re very quick to forget their own history and would be nothing, for all the other clubs around the country

@Sandance1888: This is staggering.

@CH37083178: Has he just accidentally confirmed what everyone has thought? Lol

@Magman55: Is he for real, he’s admitted a cartel exists in as many words. Let’s not have these 6 clubs disadvantaged . 😀

@juslimerick: PL will not do anything. Masters are handpicked by these red cartels

@ToonFanPhil: How is he a successful businessman & billionaire? How does he own parts of football clubs buy know nothing about football. Why does he keep doing these media interviews but get the optics so wrong. Just comes across as a spoilt brat. Also it’s the PREMIER LEAGUE not Premiership!

@GlynSpex: The fact he still calls it the Premiership tells you how out of touch he is

@MrBashe: This guy is the worst thing to happen to Manu, never mind having a 💩 team & ground & training facility, he just doesn’t get football

@Darrenboyb: So anyone who had any doubt about their being an #Elite force governing the @premierleague this should put those doubts to rest. Sir Jimbo isn’t even trying to hide the fact

@TalkCPFC: This is an absolutely mental thing for him to say out loud but to pretend that the big six don’t drive the PL’s global success is disingenuous. Whether we like it or not, they are the ones that attract the world. Not Newcastle, Villa, Palace etc

@NUFCMoments: Ratcliffe openly talking about how he thinks the top six clubs should have more of a say and drive the premiership. This is disgraceful @premierleague

@NUFCSeanElms: What a fuckin buffoon.. Just admitting that the top 6 run the league.. Response please @premierleague

@MCFC_Matt_1989: How is more not being made of this statement? He’s admitting hes been told that 6 clubs have influenced how the Premier league is ran.

@adam_harri52995: Scandalous as per!

@ShaunlfcT: How have they only just figured this out? 14 teams in this league are only relevant because of the other 6. Without them you don’t have the premier league, you have another championship that worldwide viewers don’t care about. I thought everybody knew this but clearly not.

@WillsNate: Everything that’s wrong with the world. The arrogance and entitlement of those with money.

@mcfcfxp: Wow what a arrogant man he’s had admitted the top 6 were cartels

@Bluemeanie16: @premierleague @talkSPORT Ok Mr Masters you now need to some serious rethink of how these Cartel clubs of the Premier league are put in the same level as all other clubs. It’s apparent that those in Cartel are the Problem with the league and not MCFC, Newcastle, Everton, Villa

@MarkSAnnis: The Red Cartel is alive and well!!

@Tooncosh: Omg !! Evidence we were right all along

@Steviep165: Just saying the quiet stuff out loud now 🤬🤬

@andygib: This is amazing. He’s not very smart….

@ToonUnderPod: Jim isn’t the brightest is he? #NUFC

@JamieDaniel1991: This is unbelievable