According to a publication of ‘The Times’ he tried to buy half of FC Barcelona and promised to inject billions (2,000 or 3,000) into the club
“Our interest was only in football, not in earning money”assured
According to a publication in ‘The Times’, Jim Ratcliffe tried to buy 50% of FC Barcelona. In an excerpt from a new book about the billionaire founder of Ineos, ‘Times Sport’ reveals this Friday his offers to buy Chelsea and Manchester United, and also; for the first time, his attempt to buy FC Barcelona.
According to this publication, Ratcliffe tried to buy half of FC Barcelona and promised to inject billions into the club before turning his attention to taking control at Old Trafford, the new book on the businessman has revealed.
Ratcliffe is the founder of Ineos and owner of Ligue 1 side Nice and is determined to expand his power in the world of sports.
According to the book, Ratcliffe kept a “interesting conversation” with the Barcelona club and enjoyed a good relationship with the president Joan Laporta.
It is added that ratcliffe was horrified after hearing that Laporta and his Board of Directors were planning to sell a portion of the club’s television rights to alleviate its financial problems.
“We told them not to do it, that we would put two or three billion, we would renovate the Camp Nou and we would have 50 percent ownership, and we would sign a deed to say that we would never sell it,” assured.
And added that “Our interest was only in football, not in making money. I think it would have worked.” Ratcliffe adds that “we talked about it but, in the end, they didn’t think they could go with it to the partners.”