INEOS sack Lausanne-Sport manager after five months as Ratcliffe's football empire faces scrutiny

Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group has ended its working relationship with Lausanne-Sport manager Luka Elsner after just five months, the Swiss Super League club confirmed in a statement describing the split as a mutual agreement. The dismissal comes shortly after reports that Lausanne-Sport has been placed up for sale, raising fresh questions about the scope and direction of Ratcliffe’s football investments.

The timing is awkward for Ratcliffe, who is simultaneously navigating a turbulent period at Manchester United. The Premier League club currently sit 17th in the top flight and bottom of their Champions League league-phase group, while Ligue 1 side Nice — another INEOS-owned club — only preserved their top-flight status last season by beating Saint-Etienne in the relegation play-offs, finishing 16th of 18 teams.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has faced mounting scrutiny in recent weeks, though FourFourTwo understands the club have no desire to sack him. A recent victory over Roma has been cited internally as evidence that a turnaround remains possible, with Carrick having guided United to a third-place Premier League finish as interim manager last season. The Old Trafford crowd underlined the nuance of the situation last month when, following a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, supporters serenaded Carrick while directing their frustration at the players.

Comments Ratcliffe made to The Times have resurfaced amid the turbulence. The petrochemicals billionaire acknowledged he could walk away from Old Trafford if supporter hostility reached the levels directed at the Glazer family. “If it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, look, enough’s enough guys, let somebody else do this,” he said. “They can’t really come to a match, the Glazers. They’ve retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I’m getting all the bloody stick.”

Ratcliffe added that he could tolerate being unpopular to a point, but drew a clear line at sustained personal abuse. The comments, made before United’s current run of poor form, now carry additional weight as the club prepares to host Aston Villa in the Premier League.