Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe is facing criticism in Nice as he lets the French club ‘fester’ and ‘sink deeper’ into an ‘unprecedented sporting and off-field crisis’.
ICI cover the situation at the club today. They say that while Nice ‘continues to sink’, Ratcliffe appears uninterested and more focused on Manchester United.
They question how a club that has lost nine matches in a row can’t sack it’s manager. Or how a club which prides itself on local identity can continue with a president who is creating such a rift with the supporters.
Then there’s the problem with the players, who have seized control ‘so easily’ despite the club’s history and foundations.
The answer is because of Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement. He has locked all these people in what now resembles ‘a gilded cage’ of red and black and thrown away the key, never to be heard of again. He is, according to the outlet, ‘disinterested’ and desperate to sell.
Except, he’s ‘doing nothing’ to hand over the reins and let the French club move forwards. He’s even left a takeover bid unanswered for weeks, proving to be unreachable in the midst of the storm. He won’t even put his head above the parapet to restore order or clarify responsibilities.
This is seen as bizarre behaviour, as the Manchester United owner isn’t even respecting simple procedures to help keep the club running. His actions, or lack of them, are blamed for the ‘deadlock’ at Nice and the problems they face.
As far as they’re concerned, ‘Jim doesn’t care’ and is stealing the joy of the fans. They have relaunched a petition last week, deeply irritated by their owner’s clear lack of interest. That’s something they think, at least on a pure business level, is simply ‘incomprehensible’.