Ineos spokesperson reacts as Tottenham sue Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s company
Tottenham are reportedly taking High Court legal action against Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos.
The North London club signed a multi-million-pound deal with Manchester United’s part-owners in 2022 to promote the Ineos Grenadier car as the club’s “official 4×4 vehicle partner”.
The partnership was supposed to span five years, but Ineos are believed to be looking for an early withdrawal from the deal, against Tottenham’s wishes, and talks have been ongoing since February.
However, the club’s relations have now plummeted as Daniel Levy and Co. have taken decisive action to sue the company, with a spokesperson from Ineos addressing the issue.
Ineos believe they have the right to end their deal with Tottenham
Levy’s footballing decisions have come under scrutiny during his 24-year reign at Spurs. However, the 63-year-old has a reputation for being an astute businessman who does not suffer fools gladly.
Therefore, the Tottenham Chairman will not be pleased with the recent developments at Ineos and has shown that he will happily elevate issues where necessary for the benefit of Tottenham, as a claim has now been lodged by the North London club against Ineos Automotive Limited, a subsidiary of the multinational Ineos company.
As reported by The Telegraph (13 June), Ineos have responded to Tottenham’s legal action by claiming that contractually, they have the right to end the partnership.
In a statement to Telegraph Sport, a spokesperson for Ineos said, “Ineos Automotive has been a partner of Tottenham Hotspur since 2022, taking on a partnership agreement that Ineos Group had in place with the club since 2020.
“Like any business, we have to be diligent in how we operate and where we invest marketing budgets. It’s completely normal for partnerships to be reviewed on a regular basis, and we’ve decided that the partnership wasn’t working out for us. We have the right to terminate the partnership.”
These comments will not be well received by the Spurs hierarchy and could spell the start of an ugly feud between two of the highest-profile British businessmen in football.
Levy has been in the footballing business for far longer than Ratcliffe. However, the latter has far more financial might and could make life very difficult for his new adversary.
Tottenham and Manchester United’s relationship could sour
It will be fascinating to witness how the repercussions of these off-field issues will impact future dealings between the two footballing giants in regards to their respective football clubs.
| Clubs | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | Final Position |
| Manchester United | 11 | 9 | 18 | 42 | 15th |
| Tottenham | 11 | 5 | 22 | 38 | 17th |
They both suffered horrible Premier League campaigns, and look set for a huge summer as they aim to rebuild from rock bottom.
There already would have been some animosity after Tottenham beat Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final, but this will pale in comparison to the club’s potential fall-out from this legal battle.
They are already set to lock horns over the transfer of Bryan Mbeumo, while any transfers between the two clubs will likely be off the cards until this issue is resolved.