Official: Jim Ratcliffe puts football club up for sale!
INEOS, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has officially put Swiss club Lausanne-Sport up for sale after owning it since November 2017.
Details: According to The Athletic, consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal has already begun sending potential investors a five-page prospectus titled “Project Striker.” The sale of the Swiss asset is the latest step in the winding down of INEOS’s sporting empire, which previously announced plans to sell French club Nice and terminated several major sponsorship agreements.
In its presentation to prospective buyers, Lausanne-Sport is described as a contender for the top spots in a 12-team league where the traditional favorites, Basel and Young Boys, have seen their positions weaken. At the same time, the document makes no mention of the club’s lack of significant sporting success, annual losses of around £5 million, or the team’s current position at the bottom of the table—a situation that could result in the club’s third relegation under the British corporation’s ownership.
The sell-off of INEOS’s football assets is taking place against the backdrop of serious economic difficulties facing the conglomerate itself, with its total debt reaching £18 billion. The restructuring of its sporting division has coincided with another crisis at Manchester United, where INEOS’s operational control has yet to deliver results: a 0–3 home defeat by Bournemouth dropped Michael Carrick’s team to 16th in the Premier League, intensifying the pressure on the club’s executives and owners.
Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
