Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has said he will leave the club if fan abuse against him becomes as intense as what the Glazer family faced.
Ratcliffe, who bought a 29 percent stake in the club last year for £1.3 billion, has faced criticism from supporters due to poor results on the pitch, rising ticket prices, and job cuts at the club.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Ratcliffe said he understands fans’ frustration but will not tolerate excessive abuse.
“I can put up with it for a while,” he said. “I don’t mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we’re having to make at the moment.”
However, he warned that if the situation worsens, he will step away.
“If it reached the extent that the Glazer family has been abused, then I’d have to say, look, enough’s enough guys, let somebody else do this.”
Since his arrival, hopes that Ratcliffe would turn things around have not been met. The decision to renew Erik ten Hag’s contract before sacking him in October, along with the swift exit of sporting director Dan Ashworth, have been costly errors.
His recent comments about some players being “overpaid” and “not good enough” have also angered some squad members.
Meanwhile, United recently announced plans for a 100,000-seat stadium, expected to cost £2 billion and be completed in five years.
Ratcliffe noted that the Glazers now avoid Old Trafford due to fan hostility and admitted he does not want to reach that point.
“They can’t really come to a match, the Glazers. They’ve retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I’m getting all the stick,” he said.
“At the moment, I don’t have security, I don’t have to walk around like that. But it would defeat the object, wouldn’t it? You couldn’t tolerate it at that level, it just wouldn’t be fun.”
