Withdrawing From Competition To Buy Manchester United, Finnish Entrepreneurs: Joke

Illustration of Manchester United. (Photo: Twitter @ManUtd)

JAKARTA - Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus called Manchester United's bidding process a "lelucon" after he withdrew his offer on Wednesday, April 12, local time.

Zilliacus became the third bidder to publicly express his interest in buying MU. Previously, Jim Radcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani made a proposition.

He expressed his interest in March. Zilliacus wants to buy 50 percent of the club's shares, with the other half purchased by fans, who will join the club's decision-making process.

However, Zilliacus has refused to participate in the third round of proposals as the 69-year-old believes it will hinder potential owners' chances of investing in United for next season.

"I have refused participation in the third round of bidding for Manchester United. The offer turned into a joke, with (Family) Glazers not respecting the club," he wrote on Twitter.

"The delay will be very difficult for any new owner to build a winning team next season. Jim Ratcliffe, Sheikh Jassim and I myself are ready to negotiate an agreement to buy MU. On the other hand, Glazers chose to start a new chapter,"

"I will not participate in the plays made to maximize the seller's profits at the expense of Manchester United," he continued.

Zilliacus' comments came just a day after United legend Gary Neville took to Twitter to lament Glazers' decision about the opening of a new chapter of the offer.

Neville wrote, "Take it to the 3rd round completely without class. The market clearly didn't give them the answer they wanted!"

"It looks like they've made agreements with each other that they won't go less than 1 billion pounds for each member of the family (5 members of them). If they stayed after all this, it would be poison!"