Eric Cantona slams Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe over 'unacceptable' immigration comments and claims he wouldn't have signed for the club

Cantona has publicly condemned Ratcliffe after the Manchester United minority owner claimed the UK is "on the slide" due to immigration and benefit issues. Ratcliffe made the controversial remarks during a recent BBC interview, prompting an immediate backlash from the club's Muslim supporters' group, who demanded his resignation over the "completely unacceptable" comments.

The situation presents a stark irony for Ratcliffe. The British billionaire considers Cantona his favourite player and even named his holding company, Trawlers Limited, after the forward's infamous seagulls press conference.

However, the feeling is far from mutual. Speaking to prominent United fan Pete Boyle on his TikTok account, Cantona made it clear that the INEOS chief's political beliefs conflict completely with his own family history and values.

When asked if he would have completed his famous £1.2 million move from Leeds United in 1992 had Ratcliffe been in charge, Cantona delivered a blunt response.

"No. Of course not. You know what I think about all of this, with this kind of politics," the 60-year-old said. "And I cannot understand that someone like this can say something like this when he’s one of the owners of the club."

The Frenchman then highlighted how migration has historically shaped the sport's greatest talents. He added: "Football is a very popular sport. Football is made - all the greatest players come from different waves of immigration. Everywhere, in France, in England, everywhere.

"In France for instance, the greatest players in France, they all come from different waves of immigration. I made a documentary on that, French Football: An Immigrant History. Raymond Kopa, in the fifties, was the son of Polish immigrants who came to France, worked in France, and worked hard in France. And then the Italians, Italians like Platini. And then Spanish, like me, my mother came from Spanish refugees. I cannot accept this kind of thing."

This latest dispute deepens the rift between the club icon and the current boardroom. Earlier this year, Ratcliffe faced similar criticism and apologised after telling Sky News the UK had been 'colonised by immigrants'.

Cantona had already taken aim at the INEOS chief during the spring over sweeping operational changes and 450 job cuts at Old Trafford.

"Since Ratcliffe arrived this team of directors try to destroy everything and they don’t respect anybody," Cantona stated previously. "They even want to change the stadium. The soul of the team and the club is not in the players. All the people around is like a big family."

Ratcliffe now faces an intensifying public relations crisis alongside his ongoing overhaul of the club's operations. Navigating heavy criticism from one of United's greatest-ever players will only add to the mounting scrutiny surrounding the INEOS sporting project.