Latest news with #SheikhJassim
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Qataris ‘haven't abandoned hope of buying Man Utd' with Sir Alex Ferguson ‘guest of PSG chief at Champions League final'
SHEIKH JASSIM has not given up on one day owning Man Utd, according to reports. The Qatari went head-to-head with Sir Jim Ratcliffe for the Red Devils in 2023. 3 3 While Ratcliffe, 72, went on to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club, Jassim had been attempting to purchase it in its entirety - pledging to wipe their staggering debt in the process. Taking into account money borrowed and transfers still being paid for, the Red Devils are said to owe around £1bn. Ratcliffe has endured a bruising first 18 months as United co-owner. The Red Devils have just secured their worst finish of the Premier League era, while former boss Erik ten Hag was sacked last October. The Dutchman's successor Ruben Amorim has so far been unable to stop the rot, while the Red Devils' difficulties have extended to off the pitch. Ratcliffe has bemoaned the club's financial woes, with drastic cuts including 450 redundancies. According to the Telegraph, Jassim and his associates have not given up on one day purchasing the Red Devils. Qataris looking to buy a major European football club would likely consult Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi, given his vast experience and bulging contacts book. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 3 Al-Khelaifi, 51, has owned PSG since 2011, while he also chairs the European Club Association, as well as Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports. Interestingly, legendary former Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson was a special guest of Al-Khelaifi's in Munich over the last few days. Bruno Fernandes enjoys dinner with Al-Hilal 'secret agent' Joao Cancelo as he faces Man Utd exit decision Ferguson, 83, attended the official pre-Champions League final dinner courtesy of the PSG chief on Friday. While he was part of Al-Khelaifi's party in the posh seats at the Allianz Arena as PSG battered Inter Milan to win their first Champions League crown. As part of their 2023 deal, the Glazer family can sell United from under Ratcliffe. But the British billionaire does possess the right to make an offer on any share sale. Sheikh Jassim refused to engage in a public PR campaign while trying to buy United in 2023. And precious little is still known about the mysterious would-be Old Trafford chief. It remains to be seen whether Jassim would shift tactics, should another Man Utd opportunity come up. In February 2024, Ratcliffe cast doubt over whether Sheikh Jassim even exists. The United co-owner said: "Still nobody's ever seen him, actually. "The Glazers never met him. He never… I'm not sure he exists.'
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Spectre of Qatar still looms large over Manchester United
The long journey of Paris St-Germain to the peak of European football has not always been a comfortable one for the state of Qatar, having acquired the club in 2011, although that does not seem to have diminished its appetite for the power conferred by football. Invited to sit among the VIP seats at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Saturday night was Sir Alex Ferguson, a guest of the PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. The man who contested four of these Champions League finals as United manager must be the best-connected football fan on the planet, although no one can blame him for giving United's recent Asia tour a miss. Ferguson was also a guest of Al-Khelaifi at the official dinner in Munich on Friday night for the two finalists, held by Uefa and attended by its president Aleksander Ceferin. The event is designed for the ownership and management of both clubs to socialise, as well as premium-end corporate sponsors, along with the Uefa hierarchy. The PSG president is, along with Ceferin, the most powerful man in European football. As the chairman of the European Club Association, Al-Khelaifi negotiates with Ceferin on how the riches of the Champions League are distributed. As both chair of Qatar Sports Investment [QSI], a subsidiary of the country's sovereign wealth fund, and chair of the state broadcaster beIN Sports, he sits at the nexus of Qatari power in football. How far Al-Khelaifi was connected to the bid for Manchester United by Sheikh Jassim, a Qatari royal and son of a former Qatar prime minster Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, is a matter of dispute. With his position of pre-eminence in the European game, and his contacts, Al-Khelaifi would be an obvious first port of call for any Qatari seeking to buy a European football club. Officially, Al-Khelaifi was kept separate from Jassim's series of offers for United over the course of 2023. He denied any involvement in June that year. In the 17 months that have followed the successful Ineos bid for 25 per cent of United, rising to 28.94 per cent, Jassim's bid, via his Nine Two Foundation [NTF], has slipped into history. The New York Stock Exchange documents released last year claimed that NTF had not provided necessary evidence of funds. While the bids were complex, Jassim, via NTF, offered less than Sir Jim Ratcliffe up front, but proposed to pay it immediately. He was to buy the club's shares in their entirety, including those of the minority shareholders, and clear the debt. The offer was rejected by the Glazers. It is worth noting that, as of Saturday, United's share price on the New York Stock Exchange was little more than $14, valuing the club at €2.42 billion, or £1.8 billion – close to where it was at the original 2012 listing. In 2023, both bidders offered much in excess of the listed price – but even so, the decline in value of those shares since has been as lamentable as the club's performances on the pitch. Despite their withdrawal from the bidding process in October 2023, the indication from Qatar is that Jassim and those around him have not abandoned the hope of owning United. They still believe that one day the opportunity may present itself and nothing that has happened since the deal between the Glazers and Ratcliffe has diminished that. How a Qatari ownership might have fared is a matter of conjecture. Certainly it took QSI long enough to set PSG on the right path. Although the argument is that valuable lessons have been learnt in that respect. Whether or not a Qatari bid for United is realistic is not a question in the short term. Ratcliffe is, for the time being, taking the pain of turning around United. There have been 450 redundancies, the worst league finish in 50 years and a new manager with the lowest win ratio of any of his 21 st century predecessors. The debt is now around £1 billion when the Glazers' borrowings and outstanding transfer payments are considered. As for the Champions League, United are further away than they have ever been in the competition's post-European Cup history. The details of the Glazers' deal with Ratcliffe does include a provision for the Glazers to sell the club out from under their junior partner – although Ratcliffe has the right to make a first offer on any share sale. The British billionaire once said that he doubted whether Jassim truly existed, and it would be fair to say that the Qataris did not mount he most aggressive campaign to introduce their man to the English football public. Just a single picture released for public consumption, and only the briefest biographical details. There was frustration in some quarters that NTF did not put up a more robust public-relations campaign over the course of 2023. Those who know the details will simply say that Qataris, even those with considerable influence in the state, feel uncomfortable tooting too loud on the proverbial trumpet before a deal is done. That was to their cost. Ratcliffe proved a more accessible figure, before and after the deal with the Glazers. Two years ago this month, Ratcliffe and Jassim were going head-to-head with their offers to the US bank Raine, which oversaw the auction for the Glazers. It was considered the most critical decision in United's history and yet in the end, it felt that no such decision was made. The Glazers hung on to power. Ratcliffe accepted a minority stake and the burden of change and none can deny that, on the pitch, it has got worse. By October 2023 the process had become bruising. Jassim's withdrawal that month was ultimately predicated on price. Even with the extraordinary wealth of Qatar's richest families, there were limits. The question is whether that auction could ever be replayed, with Ratcliffe obliged to try to finance buying the club outright against a fresh Qatari bid. As ever with United, it is the Glazers who will decide that.
Zawya
27-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Qatar: Milaha and Fincantieri sign deal to advance maritime co-operation and technology integration
Qatar - The signing of the MoU represents a significant advancement in Milaha's mission to redefine logistics and naval support capabilities in the region while contributing to the economic diversification goals outlined in Qatar National Vision 2030. Milaha, the leading provider of maritime and logistics solutions in the region, has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Fincantieri, one of the world's largest high-complexity shipbuilding groups, for cooperation in areas such as marine services, project management, and technology integration. Both parties have expressed a shared intent to explore further opportunities that support Qatar's national development objectives, particularly in enhancing sovereign capabilities within the maritime sector. The signing of this MoU represents a significant advancement in Milaha's mission to redefine logistics and naval support capabilities in the region while contributing to the economic diversification goals outlined in Qatar National Vision 2030. Attending the signing ceremony in Doha on behalf of Fincantieri was Pierroberto Folgiero, its chief executive officer and managing director, and Dario Deste, general manager of the Naval Vessels Division. Representing Milaha were Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, chairman, and Fahad Saad al-Qahtani, Group chief executive officer. 'The signing of this MoU represents a significant step for Milaha in advancing its strategic objectives as a Qatari company aligned with national priorities," said Fahad Saad al-Qahtani, Milaha Group chief executive officer. Collaborating with a global leader such as Fincantieri provides access to advanced international expertise while supporting the development of sustainable capabilities within Qatar, he said, adding this partnership will facilitate localisation, promote industrial autonomy, and enable effective knowledge transfer, in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. "Through this agreement, Milaha reaffirms its role as a key contributor to national development and a reliable partner in supporting the country's long-term maritime ambitions,' according to him. Folgiero said the agreement marks a further step in the consolidation of Fincantieri's presence in a region of strategic importance for the development of advanced shipbuilding and maritime services. "Qatar is a key partner with whom we have built a long-standing relationship. Our collaboration with Milaha reflects our shared ambition to move forward on this path, leveraging our industrial and technological expertise to support the country's maritime sovereignty and contribute to the goals outlined in Qatar Vision 2030," he added. For Fincantieri, this agreement strengthens its position as an industrial partner, supporting Qatar's ambition to build a high-value and self-sufficient maritime sector. Together, both companies are ideally positioned to contribute to the development of an integrated, competitive, and future-ready maritime ecosystem in the country. © Gulf Times Newspaper 2022 Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Qatar group Sir Jim Ratcliffe beat to Man United ownership WON'T renew their interest in the club despite share price plummeting on back of dire campaign
The Qatari group which failed to complete a £4.5billion takeover of Manchester United is not reviving its interest – despite a terrible season for the club which has seen its share price plummet. Mail Sport revealed that the Doha-based outfit, led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, had joined the hunt to buy the turmoiled Premier League giants after owners the Glazer family announced they were open to selling in November 2022. However, following a protracted process the group eventually lost out to a bid for a minority share from petrochemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which valued the club higher. Since that deal was completed last January, United have continued to underperform, aside from a shock FA Cup Final victory. Defeat in the Europa League Final on Wednesday under manager Ruben Amorim means they will end the season trophyless and a maximum of two places above the relegation zone. At a time of widespread cost-cutting and redundancies, overseen by Ratcliffe's INEOS group, it also means that in a further, heavy financial hit there will be no European football at Old Trafford next season. The group had tried to complete a £4.5billion bid to buy United before Sir Jim Ratcliffe became involved with the club United's share price is down more than 17 per cent year on year and speculation has been rife that the Qataris, against such a backdrop, may feel emboldened to launch a new bid. However, Mail Sport understands that there is currently little chance of that happening and little appetite for such a move given how the process played out with the Glazer family. To add to the matter, INEOS are thought to have no intention of walking away from the club following the amount of work they have already carried out to change its direction. Fans are set to protest at today's season-ending fixture with Aston Villa, with the Glazers – who saddled the club with debt following their leveraged buyout in 2005 – coming in for the most criticism. Last year, revealed details of 'Project Ruby', the Qataris' grand plan to restore United to the top. It included proposals for a new stadium and a rebuild fuelled by vast wealth and a mix of United legends and some of sport's leading execs.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Everton vs Manchester United - TV channel, live stream and kick-off time
Manchester United return to Premier League action this weekend as they prepare for an away trip to face Everton. United will travel to Goodison Park to take on the Toffees looking to return to winning ways. The Reds were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in their last Premier League fixture, a result which leaves them in 15th place in the table. Ruben Amorim and Co. will be determined to get the three points as they aim to climb the league table and return to winning ways. United's last win in the top flight came against Fulham at the end of January, and have won just one of their last four matches in the Premier League. READ MORE: Sheikh Jassim has already shared his Man United vision amid full takeover update READ MORE: Manchester United drop major Everton team news hint as three players left out of squad Here, the Manchester Evening News takes a look at the TV info needed for United's Premier League clash against Everton. United's clash against Everton is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, February 22, at 12.30pm at Goodison Park in the Premier League. Yes, TNT Sports have selected Everton vs Man United as part of their Premier League coverage this weekend. The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 (Sky channel 410) and TNT Sports UHD, with coverage starting at 11am. United legend Rio Ferdinand will also part of the coverage at Goodison. Thanks to TNT Sports broadcasting the game, Everton vs Man United will also be available to live stream. Fans with a paid subscription will be able to watch the game live on the TNT Sports app either on mobile, on tablet or on the TNT Sports website. Discovery Plus will also be streaming the fixture, which will be available to paid subscribers and TNT Sports customers. This will be available on mobile, tablet, online and via their TV app.
