Manchester United have released a statement pledging to “continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride”.
The club made the announcement shortly after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said on Thursday he was sorry for his “choice of language” while speaking about immigration in a Sky News interview on Wednesday.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves were among the public figures to call on Ratcliffe to apologise, with Reeves calling the 73-year-old’s comments “unacceptable” and “disgusting”.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe interview: What have Manchester United said?
United did not directly reference Ratcliffe, who acquired a 27.7% stake in the 20-time English champions in 2024, or the interview in the statement, which began by emphasising that the club “prides itself” on being inclusive and welcoming, as well as having a diverse group of players, staff and fans around the world reflecting “a city that anyone can call home”.
The club reaffirmed a deep commitment to its All Red All Equal initiative, which was launched in 2016 and based around equality, diversity and inclusion, and the Premier League’s Advanced Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard.
The statement highlighted events and initiatives at men’s and women’s games “marking mental health, LGBTQ+ inclusion, No Room for Racism, violence against women and girls and homophobic chanting”.
“We have also celebrated our supporters’ clubs’ events, including our Disabled Supporters’ Assocation’s Christmas Party and our Jewish Supporters’ Club’s Chanukah event,” they said.
“In the weeks and months ahead, we will be supporting further initiatives in these areas. This all sits alongside the incredible work which the Manchester United Foundation undertakes in and around Manchester on a daily basis.
“Manchester United reflects the unity and resilience of all the communities we are so privileged to represent.”
You can read the full statement here.
Man United: What was Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s apology for?
Ratcliffe, who is the founder of chemical giants Ineos, was criticised for saying the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” the billionaire added. “I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money.”
A number of the claims Ratcliffe made were incorrect, according to BBC News. You can read their fact-check on his remarks about about immigration and benefits here.
Leading anti-discrimination group Kick It Out called the comments “disgraceful and deeply divisive”, while Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said they “go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood”.
Jim Ratcliffe apology: How Manchester United co-owner responded
“I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth,” Ratcliffe’s statement said.
“My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.
“My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.”
Speaking to BBC Politics Live, Conservative peer and former transport secretary Mark Harper suggested Ratcliffe’s apology could have been “a little more generous”.
Critics of Ratcliffe’s remarks have said they are divisive, inflammatory and inaccurate.
“We appreciate there are legitimate debates around immigration… but using words like that stokes the flames,” said Asif Mahmud, the co-founder of the official Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club, likening the language to words used by the far right.
Mahmud said there was “quite a bit of shock” within the membership of the Muslim Supporters Club.
Gillian Mackay, the co-leader of the Scottish Green Party, said the language “does nothing to solve the real challenges people face, like the cost of living, and instead only benefits those who seek to divide communities.”
Downing Street accepted Ratcliffe’s apology, while multiple reports said that the Football Association (FA) is examining whether Ratcliffe’s comments have brought the game into disrepute.
“It’s a matter that our legal and regulation team are working to,” the FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, said.
How did Jim Ratcliffe make his money? Net worth, background
The son of a joiner, Ratcliffe grew up on a council estate in Greater Manchester and worked in the energy and chemicals sector before mortgaging his house in 1992 to help part-fund a deal to buy a chemicals company being sold by BP.
By 1994, the company was valued at £100 million when it floated on the London Stock Exchange. Ratcliffe left in 1998 and founded Ineos, building vast wealth and remaining chairman today.
He was knighted in 2018 for services to business and investment and is ranked seventh on the Sunday Times Rich List, which puts his net worth at £17 billion.
Based in Monaco, Ratcliffe’s finalisation of his £1.25bn deal to invest in United included taking over football operations at one of the biggest clubs in the world game.
Ratcliffe has endured a testing start to his bid to restore United as one of the superpowers of English football, including a restructuring that featured 450 redundancies, an overhaul of senior management and the sacking of two managers, most recently overseeing the dismissal of Ruben Amorim following a poor first half of the 2025/26 season.
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