The legal team of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has sent legal letters to Manchester United lawyers in New York City and London accusing Sir Jim Ratcliffe of a breach of confidentiality, according to The Athletic.
The Red Devils co-owner told journalists in February that the Glazers never met Sheikh Jassim, questioning his existence and appearing to confirm that the Qataris failed to produce proof of funds and had exaggerated the size of their bid.
Man United’s filings to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in January 2024 following the completion of Ratcliffe’s deal also indicated that.
Sheikh Jassim and his team are now complaining about ‘a pattern of demonstrably false and defamatory’ statements made by the British billionaire regarding their attempt to buy the club.
They also demand ‘immediate corrective action’ be made to the club’s SEC filings, insisting the Man United co-owner breached the confidentiality agreement signed by all parties concerning the sales process following his comments in February.
Sheikh Jassim and his team insist they provided ‘definitive’ proof of funds via a demand guarantee from Qatar National Bank (QNB). They claim they were ready to complete a full takeover with their fifth bid tabled in June 2023.
The Qataris offered £4 billion ($5.072bn) to buy Man United and £577 million ($731m) to clear their debts.
They claimed they also pledged to invest another £1.03bn ($1.3bn) into the club, which would have taken the whole deal beyond £5.5bn ($7bn). This is why Ratcliffe’s suggestion that their bid had not been as high as reported has not gone down well with them.
Sheikh Jassim’s lawyers also revealed in their letters to Man United that he met in person with Joel and Avram Glazer on July 26, 2023, debunking the claim from Ratcliffe that there was no meeting between him and the majority owners.
Given they could consider buying another European football club in the future, the Qataris understandably want to protect their reputation.
