Manchester United released a statement pledging to “continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride”.

The club made the announcement shortly after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said on Thursday he regretted his “choice of language” while speaking about immigration in a Sky News interview on Wednesday.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves were among public figures to call on Ratcliffe to apologise, with Reeves calling the 73-year-old’s comments “unacceptable” and “disgusting”.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe Interview: What do Manchester United say?

United did not directly mention Ratcliffe, who will take a 27.7% stake in the 20-time English champions in 2024, or initiate an interview in a statement, which began by insisting the club “prides itself” on being inclusive and welcoming, as well as having a diverse group of players, staff and fans that can call “anyone from around the world” home.

The club reaffirmed its deep commitment to the All Red All Equal initiative, which was launched in 2016 and is based around equality, diversity and inclusion and the Premier League’s Advanced Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard.

The statement highlighted events and initiatives on “mental health, LGBTQ+ inclusion, no room for racism, violence against women and girls and homophobic chants” in men’s and women’s sports.

“We have also celebrated our supporters’ club events, including our Disabled Supporters Association’s Christmas party and our Jewish supporters’ club’s Chanukah event,” they said.

“In the weeks and months ahead, we will be supporting further initiatives in these areas. This is all linked to the incredible work carried out by Manchester United Foundation on a daily basis in and around Manchester.

“Manchester United reflects the unity and resilience of all the communities we are privileged to represent.”

You can read the full statement here.

Man United: What was Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s apology for?

Ratcliffe, who is the founder of chemical giant Enos, has been criticized for saying the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”.

“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants,” the billionaire added. “I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing a lot of money.”

Many of Ratcliffe’s claims were false, according to BBC News. You can read his fact-check on his comments about immigration and benefits here.

Leading anti-discrimination group Kick It Out called the comments “shameful and deeply divisive”, while Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said they “go against everything Manchester has traditionally stood for”.

Jim Ratcliffe apology: How the Manchester United co-owner reacted

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

“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 aim 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 vital that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.”

Speaking to BBC Politics Live, Conservative peer and former transport secretary Mark Harper suggested Ratcliffe’s apology might be “a bit too generous”.

Critics of Ratcliffe’s criticism have said it is divisive, inflammatory and inaccurate.

“We appreciate that there are legitimate debates around immigration… but the use of such words causes flames,” said Asif Mahmud, co-founder of the official Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club, likening the language to words used by the far right.

Mahmud said there was “quite a bit of shock” in the membership of the pro-Muslim club.

Gillian Mackay, co-leader of the Scottish Green Party, said the language “does nothing to help people face real challenges such as the cost of living, and instead only benefits those who want to divide communities.”

Downing Street accepted Ratcliffe’s apology, while multiple reports said the Football Association (FA) was investigating whether Ratcliffe’s comments brought the game into disrepute.

“This is a matter that our legal and regulatory teams are working on,” said Mark Bullingham, the FA’s chief executive.

How did Jim Ratcliffe make his money? Net Worth, Background

The son of a joiner, Ratcliffe grew up on a council estate in Greater Manchester and worked in the energy and chemicals sector before mortgaging his house in 1992 to help part-fund a deal to buy a chemicals company sold by BP.

By 1994, the company was valued at £100 million when it floated on the London Stock Exchange. Ratcliffe left in 1998 and founded Ineos, amassing a huge fortune and remains chairman today.

He was knighted for services to business and investment in 2018 and is ranked seventh on the Sunday Times Rich List, with a net worth of £17 billion.

Based in Monaco, Ratcliffe finalized his £1.25bn deal to invest in United which includes the football operations of one of the biggest clubs in world sport.

Ratcliffe has begun testing his bid for reinstatement combined As one of English football’s superpowers, he recently oversaw the sackings, which included a restructuring involving 450 redundancies, an overhaul of senior management and the sacking of two managers. Reuben Amorim Following a poor first half of the 2025/26 season.