FC Lausanne-Sport
 

 INEOS, the group led by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has reportedly placed Swiss football club FC Lausanne-Sport on the market, raising fresh questions about the company’s wider football investment strategy as scrutiny of its involvement at Manchester United continues to grow.

According to The Athletic, the Swiss Super League side is being offered for sale nearly a decade after INEOS acquired the club in 2017, marking one of the first major steps in the group’s expansion into football.

Lausanne-Sport is currently enduring a difficult campaign, sitting at the bottom of the Swiss top flight after 11 matches. Its struggles have added to the challenges facing INEOS across its European football portfolio.

The company also owns French club OGC Nice, which narrowly escaped relegation from Ligue 1 last season. The performances of both clubs have brought increased attention to the results of Ratcliffe’s multi-club ownership model.

The reported decision concerning Lausanne-Sport comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Manchester United, where INEOS holds a minority stake and has assumed responsibility for key football operations.

United’s immediate concerns centre on their results and the growing pressure surrounding manager Michael Carrick. The club suffered a 3-0 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday, October 25, further intensifying scrutiny of the team’s performances.

Frustration among United supporters has also become increasingly visible, with chants directed at the Glazer family and Ratcliffe’s ownership featuring during matches this season.

Although Lausanne-Sport’s reported sale concerns a separate club within the INEOS portfolio, the development is likely to attract attention from Manchester United supporters seeking clarity about the group’s long-term football ambitions.

INEOS’s football investments have extended beyond England into France and Switzerland, reflecting a strategy built around ownership of multiple clubs. A potential change in its involvement with Lausanne-Sport could therefore have implications for how that wider portfolio is managed.

However, the reported sale does not, in itself, establish that INEOS intends to change its position at Manchester United. The circumstances surrounding Lausanne-Sport’s potential sale and any broader implications for the group’s football operations remain to be clarified.

Do you think they will sell Man Utd also?