Ratcliffe comments leaves Man Utd officials 'mortified' and throws HUGE doubt on new stadium project

Suraj Radia

• 12 Feb 2026 16:14 GMT
• 4 min read

News

Manchester United fear their plans for a new stadium could be affected by the recent controversial comments by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which has left some figures at the club ‘mortified’.

Ratcliffe claimed the United Kingdom had been ‘colonised by immigrants’ that were ‘costing too much money’ in an interview which has sparked outrage and led to the FA investigating whether the INEOS CEO had brought the game into disrepute.

While United officials are aiming to ensure the situation does not affect the team on the pitch, the Daily Mail report that are concerns that the comments could have implications on the club’s dreams of creating a ‘futuristic’ 100,000 seater stadium, which would require significant government support.

Kier Starmer criticised the comments and demanded an apology, while Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham aimed a dig at Ratcliffe by stating that criticism ‘should be directed towards those who have offered little contribution to our life here and have instead spent years siphoning wealth out of one of our proudest institutions.’

Meanwhile, senior United officials are said to be ‘mortified’ and have described Ratcliffe's comments as ‘unhelpful’, although there remains hope that they will not have derailed the stadium project which remains key to the club’s progress.

Ratcliffe apologises ‘if choice of language offended anyone’

Ratcliffe aimed to diffuse the tension by apologising if his ‘choice of language had offended some people in the UK’ through a statement in where he insisted his comments were intended to discuss the ‘challenges’ the country faces.

"I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth,” Ratcliffe said in a statement on Thursday.

"My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.

"My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK."

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