INEOS has put Lausanne on the market, another sign that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's sporting empire is under pressure while Manchester United keep stumbling. Lausanne were bought by INEOS in 2017, but the Swiss club are now being prepared for a sale after a poor spell on the pitch. United's own problems have not let up, with an eight-match winless run hanging over the ownership story.
Lausanne's place in the retreat
A Bola reported that INEOS has put Lausanne-Sport on the market, while Standard described the club as up for sale. Both versions point in the same direction, even if the final outcome is still framed as a process rather than a done deal. The same reports place Ratcliffe's Manchester United stake at slightly different levels, with Standard saying just under 30 per cent and A Bola saying 27.7 per cent rising to close to 29.
Lausanne's form does little to strengthen the case for keeping things as they are. They have one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five matches, and have scored only three goals in that spell. Those numbers do not make a club look attractive to buyers, and they certainly do not help a football project trying to project stability.
United's problems keep the spotlight on Ratcliffe
The backdrop at Old Trafford is hardly calmer. United are 16th in the Premier League with seven points from eight matches, and have won only one of their last five. Fans made their frustration plain at Old Trafford, where a protest message captured the mood around INEOS and Ratcliffe's role in the club.
The sale of Lausanne-Sport does not solve anything for United, and it should not be read that way. It does show a football group cutting back on one of its assets while the biggest one is still under heavy scrutiny. With Lausanne on the market and United short on results, Ratcliffe's ownership project is looking more fragile than ambitious right now.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
