INEOS put Lausanne-Sport up for sale as Ratcliffe trims football portfolio

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS has put Swiss Super League club FC Lausanne-Sport up for sale, according to The Athletic.

The move comes on the same day that Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox met at Carrington to discuss the future of head coach Michael Carrick.

INEOS’s first football club

Lausanne-Sport was the first football club INEOS bought, in November 2017. The company had built close ties with the area after basing its offices nearby in Rolle, and it had already sponsored the city’s ice hockey club.

At the time of the takeover, INEOS set out its ambition of taking Lausanne to the top of the Swiss league and into European competition. The club has played at the 12,500-capacity Stade de la Tuilière since 2020.

Nice also on the market

Lausanne is the second INEOS-owned club to be made available. Ratcliffe has been looking to sell Ligue 1 side OGC Nice, which INEOS bought in 2019. Bloomberg reported in January that INEOS was seeking more than €200 million for the French club.

UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules have also complicated INEOS’s portfolio. Nice were placed into a blind trust when they and Manchester United were both in the same European competition.

A sharper focus on Manchester United

The sales would leave INEOS’s football operation focused on Manchester United, where Ratcliffe’s company controls sporting decisions as a minority shareholder. That focus could not come at a more pressing time. United are 16th in the Premier League after an eight-game winless run, and Carrick’s future is under review. Read our guide to the next Man Utd manager candidates.