Latest Manchester United Women as Marc Skinner's team are in FA Cup final action at Wembley
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15:01, 18 May 2025
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was not in attendance during Man United Women's FA Cup final at Wembley
(Image: PA)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe did not attend Manchester United Women's FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley this afternoon.
Despite the presence of key figures from Manchester United's football department, including CEO Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox, and co-chairman Avie Glazer - Ratcliffe is absent for the second consecutive year.
He also missed the 2024 final, choosing instead to attend United’s Premier League clash with Arsenal at Old Trafford.
However, this time there is no fixture clash, as United played Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday night.
Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali were in attendance at Wembley to see if their club could complete an unbeaten treble under Sonia Bompastor.
This follows the renewed mention of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose name has resurfaced in connection with Manchester United. Prior to Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’s partial takeover, reports indicated that Sheikh Jassim submitted a £4.79 billion bid to acquire the Glazers’ stake through the Nine Two Foundation.
It was also reported that his plans included clearing the club’s debt, delisting Manchester United from the New York Stock Exchange, and presenting fully-funded proposals for a new stadium.
Speaking ahead of the final, boss Marc Skinner admitted: "Results-wise, Chelsea are the best team and the hardest team to come up against. If you know anything about us, we are rebels and we don't like just accepting this is the case.
"I am a rebel, my nature is rebellious so for me, it is about not accepting that just because they have the best resources, they have to be the best team on every occasion. When you set yourself up for that challenge and you know you will have to go through hell to get the victory, if you prepare for that, then I believe you can do something special."
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