Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously said he would walk away from Manchester United if he faced the same level of abuse as the Glazer family, a stance that has resurfaced as fan anger grows during the club's worst run in decades.
United fans directed fury at Ratcliffe during the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, where the team slipped to 17th in the Premier League and extended their winless streak to nine games in all competitions, their longest since 1988.
Fan Protests at Stamford Bridge
Away supporters at Stamford Bridge aimed derogatory chants at the Glazer family, repeating the hostility that has long defined the atmosphere at Old Trafford. The Tampa-based owners have been widely detested, and the resentment has now reached the British billionaire.
Ratcliffe, 74, has been an unpopular figure since buying a 25% stake in United in December 2023, later increasing his share to 28.94% in February 2024. Multiple rounds of staff redundancies and rising ticket prices have fuelled fan fury.
Ratcliffe's Stated Limit
In a Times interview last year, Ratcliffe, who is said to like his American co-owners, said he would not tolerate the abuse the Glazers have endured. Fans at Stamford Bridge chanted, "You can stick your new stadium up your a***", "Sell United and f*** off home", and "Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe's a c***".
"I mean, I can put up with it for a while," Ratcliffe said. "I don't mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we're having to make at the moment."
"If I draw a bit of the ire, I can put up with that. But I'm no different to the average person. It's not nice, particularly for friends and family. So, eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I'd have to say, 'Look, enough's enough guys, let somebody else do this.'"
Impact on the Club
"They can't really come to a match, the Glazers. They've retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I'm getting all the stick. We bought in and I haven't seen them since. It's, 'Thank you, Jim, you're doing a really good job,'" he added.
"At the moment, I don't have security, I don't have to walk around like that. But it would defeat the object, wouldn't it? You couldn't tolerate it at that level, it just wouldn't be fun."
United continue to struggle but have a chance to recover on Tuesday in the Champions League against Roma at Old Trafford.
