Just arrived and Ratcliffe already has a Manchester United legend as an enemy

The founder, patron and majority shareholder of the Ineos business group, Briton Jim Ratcliffe, closed a deal to acquire a 25 percent stake in Manchester United, the English club announced. The agreement provides for Ineos to have "management responsibility" for football-related matters, although the sale to Ratcliffe (71) of 25 percent means that the U.S.-based Glazer family, at the helm of United since 2005, will continue to control ownership.

The Ineos boss, already involved in soccer as owner of French club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne, shelled out 1.25 billion pounds [about $1.585 billion] to take a stake in Manchester United, according to press reports. Ratcliffe had recently declared his ambition to see Manchester United, which is going through a delicate sporting moment, "regain its rightful place". The club is currently eighth in the Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Arsenal, after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at West Ham. It was an eighth setback in 18 rounds of the English championship.

In the Champions League, Manchester United was eliminated at the group stage as bottom of its group, which does not even allow it to be replayed for a place in the Europa League. The deal to take 25 percent was not the epilogue Jim Ratcliffe dreamed of when he began negotiating the purchase, as he was aiming for a full takeover. Nor does it seem to be the most exciting solution for an important sector of the fans, highly critical of the American owners, whose management has caused the club to play a secondary role in England and Europe over the last decade.

Neville Ratcliffe's new enemy

The first great enemy of the new Manchester United owner is already public and it is the legend Gary Neville who wrote a harsh message through social networks that attacks his arrival and even does not predict good things for the team with this change in management.