Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has launched a scathing attack on Sir Jim Ratcliffe, accusing the club’s minority owner of “trying to destroy everything” that makes the club special — including ignoring Cantona’s personal offer to help rebuild it.
Speaking at a fan event for FC United of Manchester — the breakaway club formed in 2005 by disillusioned supporters protesting the Glazer takeover — Cantona criticised the direction Ratcliffe and his executive team have taken since the INEOS chief’s investment became official in February.
“Since Ratcliffe arrived this team of directors try to destroy everything and they don’t respect anybody,” Cantona said. “They even want to change the stadium.”
Cantona, who remains one of the club’s most revered figures, referenced proposals to replace Old Trafford with a new 100,000-seat stadium and the loss of hundreds of back-office staff. He said such moves risked eroding the very identity and “soul” of the club.
Cantona argued that stadiums hold deep emotional value for fans and players alike.
“For me, Arsenal lost their soul when they left Highbury. Can you imagine Liverpool playing somewhere other than Anfield? It’s impossible. I don’t think United can play in another stadium than Old Trafford.”
His comments come as Ratcliffe’s leadership undergoes a fresh wave of redundancies, bringing the total number of job cuts to around 450, as part of a wider cost-cutting and restructuring strategy.
Cantona was also critical of Ratcliffe’s reported sidelining of Sir Alex Ferguson in an ambassadorial capacity, saying: “He is more than a legend. We have to find this soul again.”
The Frenchman revealed that he had offered to pause his film work to help the club during its current transitional period.
“I said to them: ‘I can put that [aside] and help you to rebuild something.’ They didn’t care … and I don’t care. But I feel sad to see United in this kind of situation.”
Cantona said he no longer feels connected to the club’s decision-making, stating that if he were a young fan today, he might not choose to support United at all.
“I support United because I really love United. But now … I don’t feel close to these kinds of decisions. They are more about economy and strategy. I hate this kind of thing.”
During the FC United visit, Cantona and his family — including four children and two brothers — signed up as co-owners of the fan-run club, underlining his disillusionment with the direction of modern football and his belief in supporter ownership.
Manchester United have been approached for comment.
