Cantona says Ratcliffe’s immigration views would have stopped Man Utd move
Eric Cantona has said he would not have joined Manchester United in 1992 had Sir Jim Ratcliffe been running the club, condemning the minority owner’s views on immigration and benefits.
Key takeaways
- Cantona criticised Ratcliffe after the INEOS chief said the UK was “on the slide” because of immigration and welfare issues.
- Manchester United’s Muslim supporters’ group called Ratcliffe’s remarks completely unacceptable and demanded that he step down.
- The former United forward said immigration has been central to football’s greatest players in England, France and beyond.
- Ratcliffe has previously apologised after saying the UK had been “colonised by immigrants”.
- Cantona had already attacked the club’s leadership over operational changes and 450 planned redundancies.
Cantona rejects Ratcliffe’s politics
Speaking to United supporter Pete Boyle, Cantona was asked whether he would still have made his £1.2 million switch from Leeds United if Ratcliffe had been in charge at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman, now 60, gave an unequivocal answer: “No, of course not.” He said Ratcliffe’s political outlook was at odds with his own beliefs and questioned how a co-owner of United could make such comments.
Cantona argued that the game has been built by successive generations of migrant families. He pointed to France as a prominent example, citing Raymond Kopa, whose parents were Polish immigrants, Michel Platini’s Italian heritage and his own mother’s background as the daughter of Spanish refugees.
He also referred to his documentary, French Football: An Immigrant History, and said he could not accept rhetoric targeting immigration.
The intervention is particularly striking because Ratcliffe has described Cantona as his favourite player. His holding company, Trawlers Limited, was named in reference to Cantona’s famous “seagulls follow the trawler” press conference.
Pressure grows around United’s co-owner
Ratcliffe’s latest comments have triggered an immediate backlash among United supporters, with the club’s Muslim fan group seeking his resignation.
The INEOS chairman had already drawn criticism earlier this year over his description of Britain as having been “colonised by immigrants”, remarks for which he later apologised.
Cantona has also been a vocal opponent of Ratcliffe’s wider overhaul at United. In the spring, he accused the directors brought in under INEOS of trying to dismantle what made the club special, after plans emerged for 450 job cuts and major changes to the way Old Trafford operates.
He said United’s identity extended beyond the squad, describing the wider workforce and community around the club as a family. Cantona also objected to proposals involving the stadium, saying the club’s soul was not confined to the players on the pitch.
What happens next: Ratcliffe’s football project now faces fresh public scrutiny, with one of United’s most influential former players joining supporters in openly challenging the direction of the club.
