Greenpeace has called on Manchester United to reject Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s proposals.
Ratcliffe recently announced through his representative his intention to buy United and confirmed that he would participate in the bidding process.
It was also confirmed that billionaire Ineos held talks with United bosses a few hours before his public statement.
Ratcliffe’s application was widely received positively, and Gary Neville even supported the 71-year-old footballer.
However, Greenpeace in its statement criticized this step and called it “sports laundry”.
The Mirror reports: “This move has caused outrage among environmentalists, who are convinced that INEOS’ ties with several sports institutions are a tactic designed to distract attention from the damage they claim the company’s business practices are causing to the planet.”
A spokesman for Greenpeace UK said: “Accepting this proposal would be a terrible auto-goal for Manchester United. Petrochemical giant INEOS is just the latest fossil fuel company trying to use a popular sport to distract from its climate—disruptive business.”
“With interests in oil and gas, plastics and agrochemicals, INEOS has a hat-trick in terms of environmental harm. They occupy a leading position in the plastics industry in the UK and are among the most vocal supporters of hydraulic fracturing.”
The representative of Greenpeace urged United to think about whether they want to spoil their image by participating in active discussions with the enemy of the planet.
The representative added that accepting Ratcliffe’s proposal would be tantamount to accepting dirty money and would ultimately be a net minus for all parties.
However, United will not be the first sports enterprise owned by Ineos.
Ratcliffe is the owner of OGC Nice and is interested in Formula 1, cycling, rugby and even sailing.
