Investors likened the Man Utd auction to a farce
"I declined to participate in the third round of the auction," Zilliacus wrote on Twitter on April 12. "The bid is turning into a farce and the Glazers have no respect for the club."
The Finnish businessman also accused the Glazers of deliberately maximizing profits in selling Man Utd. And this action could cause difficulties for the club in the near future. "The delay in the transfer process will make it difficult for the new owner to build a winning team for next season," warned Zilliacus.
According to Goal, in the previous two auction rounds, investors paid less than the Glazer's asking price of $7.2 billion. They want to spend part of their money on the club, instead of buying it at all costs.
The Glazers set the deadline for the third round of auctions to be April 28. This time is only one month earlier than the final round of the 2022-2023 Premier League. If entering the FA Cup final, Man Utd will end the season on June 3.
On social media, former Man Utd player Gary Neville criticized the Glazer's decision to extend the auction time as "no class". Many fans supported this comment.
The Glazers started the process of selling Man Utd from November 2022. In addition to Zilliacus, the investor list includes Britain's richest man, Jim Ratcliffe, and Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim. Besides selling outright, the Glazer family also has the option to sell a small amount of shares to other investors.
The Glazer family acquired Man Utd in 2005. The amount that the American tycoon spent at that time was about $1.5 billion, including a billion loans. After the acquisition, the Glazers converted the loan into a debt of Man Utd.
The last time Man Utd won the Premier League was the 2012-2013 season. They also haven't won the Champions League since the 2007-2008 season. However, the team is reviving under the guidance of new coach Erik Ten Hag. Besides the League Cup already won, Man Utd are aiming for the FA Cup, Europa League and a place in the Top 4 in the Premier League this season.
