The prospective owners of Manchester United have until Friday to express their interest in buying one of the biggest clubs in the world, and it is reported by the British broadcasters a bid from Qatar which, if successful, would shock European football. United’s current American team, the Glazer family, opened the door for new funds to the English team in November, either in the form of a small stake or full use. Unsatisfied with supporters since they saddled the club with huge debts to the tune of £790 million ($961m) spent in 2005, the Glazers are ready to cash in their chips at a huge profit. According to reports, they are looking for £ 6 billion for the three-time European champion, which will destroy the record price for a football club set by Chelsea last year. A consortium led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital paid £2.5 billion for the Blues with another £1.75 billion promised in other investments in infrastructure and people. playing So far, only the British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who owns the petrochemicals giant Ineos and also controls the French club Nice, has been publicly announced as a buyer for United. But reports of a bid backed by the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, refuse to go away. Qatar already exerts a lot of influence on European football channels. Paris Saint-Germain has dominated French football since it was taken over by Qatar Sports Investments – a subsidiary of the state’s wealth fund – in 2011 and attracted some of the game’s biggest stars such as Lionel Messi. , Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at the Parc des Princes. Nasser al-Khelaifi, president of PSG, is also the chairman of the European Club Association. Just a few months after hosting the 2022 World Cup, a successful Qatari bid will give the Gulf state pride of place in the Premier League – the country’s best domestic competition. and the world will see it.
"Qatar’s investment in PSG has been very successful but no other sports league in the world has as much global exposure as the EPL (English Premier League)," said Danyel Reiche, associate professor of international relations at Georgetown University’s Qatar campus.
"Therefore, the acquisition of Manchester United is very reasonable."
The ownership of United could also offer Qatar the opportunity to take rights over the borders of Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia in English football. Abu Dhabi’s investment in Manchester City has transformed them into a Premier League powerhouse, winning six titles in the last 11 seasons. Newcastle United are flying high in fourth place and reaching the League Cup final for the first time in 47 years just 16 months after being taken out of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. But no City or Newcastle is proud of the traditions of United in 20 English awards and the most fans in the world.
"The Gulf’s investment in European football clubs cannot be seen in economic terms. They serve the purpose of branding the country and as an international instrument," added Reiche.
"The competition between two countries in just one city, with Manchester City owned by the UAE and Manchester United by Qatar, will be a new addition between the countries that The two have recently had bad relations."
A Qatari bid would have a series of regulatory hurdles to clear. Amnesty International has called on the Premier League to strengthen the ownership rules to ensure that they "human rights and is not an opportunity for many games."
But the experiment was tested using the green light from Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia it seems that the Premier League cannot block a manager. UEFA rules prevent both clubs "directly or indirectly" managed by the same group from competing in the Champions League may be more difficult. A source with knowledge of the bid insisted to AFP that the bidders are not linked to the owners of PSG.
"Most importantly, the investor is not QSI or QIA (the Qatar Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund), which is a completely different fund," said the source. Trying to make a difference between the Qatari foundations will be met with skepticism from rival clubs. However, the German RB Leipzig and the Austrian champions Salzburg have found a way around the UEFA rules and have been able to participate in the same competition despite both being supported by Red Bull. Friday’s deadline for upcoming bids could signal the start of a new era of prosperity in the field fueled by Qatar’s oil and gas wealth. It remains to be seen, however, how the fans of the Old Trafford club will react if the Qatari gets the green light. .