Earlier this month, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani withdrew from the process to buy the English Premier League club, Manchester United.
Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has reportedly struck back at the Glazer family with a letter of complaint after withdrawing from the bidding process following nearly 11 months of proposals.
Details of the letter have not been publicised but an exclusive report by SportsZone claimed Jassim told the Glazers they “never wanted to sell Manchester United” and used it to increase the club’s valuation to sell minority shares at a high price.
The Qatari banker had been engaged in the months-long bid for the club and was reported to have made an estimated final bid of $6 billion in the battle against British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Sheikh Jassim pledged a cash offer through the newly formed Nine Two Foundation, which would’ve cleared all the club’s old debt, priced at $1 billion.
Last week, Manchester United’s stock market was affected by Sheikh Jassim’s decision to pull out, sinking some 22 percent.
Attention is fixated now on sole bidder Ratcliffe, who is expecting to conclude a deal for a minority 25% stake in the club. The founder and chairman of the INEOS chemicals conglomerate originally submitted a bid seeking 69 percent ownership of the club, the same percentage owned by the Glazers.
The Glazers began “exploring strategic alternatives” to their ownership last November after years of public outcry by previous club players like Cristiano Ronaldo and fans.
Earlier this year, United fans blocked the entrance to the megastore on the day of the launch of the new team’s kit as part of an anti-Glazer protest. Videos online showed a small gathering of fans spotted outside Old Trafford holding anti-Glazer banners and flags.
The Glazer family has yet to make an official statement since the announcement of the sale at the beginning of the year.