There is a purchase offer from Qatar for the English football club Manchester United. Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani confirmed in a press release “that he has made an offer for 100 per cent of Manchester United Football Club”.
The US owners of the English football club, the Glazer family, announced last year that they were open to offers.
According to the announcement, bank boss Al Thani, who was trained in England, wants to handle the purchase through his Nine Two Foundation. “The offer sees the club returning to their former glory, both on and off the pitch”, it said. It is the second offer for Manchester United to be made public, after British businessman Jim Ratcliffe expressed interest. There is also speculation about other non-public offers, for example from the USA.
FairSquare criticizes possible Qatar takeover
A lot of money is flowing into football from Qatar, which hosted the World Cup last year. This is particularly visible in Paris Saint-Germain, among other places. The Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) fund joined the French club in 2011.
The human rights organization FairSquare had recently contacted UEFA President Alexander Ceferin and tried to persuade him to ban a takeover of the club by Qatari investors. According to FairSquare, the takeover would allow two clubs, PSG and Manchester United, controlled by a single “party”, namely the Emirate of Qatar, to compete in the same competition. This is a violation of the UEFA statutes.