Sir Jim Ratcliffe distracts Manchester United by celebrating the trophy
Sir Jim Ratcliffe took a brief respite from his Manchester United duties to celebrate INEOS Britannia's victory in the Louis Vuitton Sailing Cup.
It means Great Britain will compete for the Copa América for the first time since 1964 following their 7-4 victory over Italy in a qualifying match in Barcelona.
Team captain and four-time Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie was supported by manchester united minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after Manchester United's minority shareholder provided huge financial backing to the team.
The Copa América is the oldest international sports competition in the world and its first edition took place in 1851.
Great Britain are yet to win the competition, however qualification has given them the chance to challenge for the prize when they face New Zealand on October 12.
Friday's victory provided Ratcliffe with a momentary period of happiness before turning his attention back to the difficult task of rebuilding Manchester United.
The Ineos CEO has seen first-hand the difficulties both on and off the field since his arrival and, despite a summer of investment that includes new players and renovations to the club's training ground and the Old Trafford tunnel, little has changed in the field and progress continues. be hampered by inconsistent form.
United let a two-goal lead slip away against FC Porto on Thursday night, only to earn a late equaliser. save a 3-3 draw.
The result leaves United in 21st position in the standings with two points out of six possible in the Europa League.
It doesn't make for good reading in the Premier League either, with United dropping to 13th after last weekend's 3-0 home defeat to Spurs.
Ratcliffe will be keen to ensure the club's fortunes turn quickly in hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League. If not, there could be huge financial implications.
The 71-year-old will reportedly head to Villa Park on Sunday to get a closer look at Manchester United when they take on high-flying Aston Villa.
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His appearance could be a significant moment in the curious case of the boss Erik ten Hag whose future remains unclear after a stuttering start to the season.
A poor result and a poor performance against Unai Emery's men could see club bosses pull the plug on the Dutchman before the international break.
Ten Hag has led United to just six wins in their last 19 league games and one win in the club's previous nine European games.
When asked if he still has faith in the Dutchman, Ratcliffe refused to rule out a change in the dugout. He told the BBC: “I don't want to answer that question. I like Erik, I think he's a very good coach, but in the end it's not my decision.”
“It is the management team that runs Manchester United that has to decide how to best manage the team in many different aspects.
“But the team that manages Manchester United has only been together since June or July. They weren't there in January, February, March or April – (CEO) Omar (Berrada), (sporting director) Dan Ashworth – they only arrived in July
“They've only been there, you can count almost in weeks; they haven't been there for very long, so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions.
“Our objective is very clear: we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and obviously we are not there yet. That is very clear.”
