Sir Jim Ratcliffe asked Man Utd women's captain Katie Zelem what she does when he first met her after investing in the club.
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Ratcliffe has had difficult first year at clubHas shown little interest in women's teamAsked captain what she doesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Ratcliffe became United's minority owner in February 2024, placed in charge of running the football operations at the club, but has not made the best first impression, report . When he was being given a tour of the women's training facilities, he did not recognise then captain Zelem – who had been with the club since she was eight, but has now left – and asked her what her job is.
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Ratcliffe's treatment of the women's side has not impressed, with the businessman said not to have had a single meaningful conversation about them with former sporting director Dan Ashworth, who was considered an ally of the team before being sacked. Ratcliffe did not attend the women's FA Cup final in 2024, which United won by beating Tottenham 4-0, and the club only arranged a post-match party at the last minute.
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The same report states many of the women's team were only given a small ticket allocation for that Wembley final. When men's first-team players Bruno Fernandes and Tom Heaton discovered the situation, they covered the cost of more tickets using the money accrued by the fines system throughout the season.
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United sit second in the Women's Super League table, seven points behind leaders Chelsea with eight games to play. However the prospect of further investment from within the club appears bleak.
