The Finnish billionaire Thomas Zilliacus was for a while in the bidding war for Manchester United, but withdrew/was pushed out before the last round, clearly dissatisfied with the process of the owner family Glazers. Now the fin is back, this time with a “Christmas present” he’s very eager to tell the world about.
We let Zilliacus tell in an interview with the Manchester Evening News.
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-I have decided to offer Manchester United a sponsorship deal through my company XXI Century Capital Group. I want to be able to give Manchester United a Christmas present, begins the Finn to the local newspaper.
-For me, it’s not about owning anything. It’s not about having a trophy to show off. It’s about how we can make Manchester United so strong financially that the club can become number one – not just in England, but in Europe. So I have decided to propose a sponsorship deal of 500 million dollars over five years. It’s a lot about global fan engagement, and how we involve fans all over the world.
-I have a program that activates these fans in a very interesting way, and it is based on the fact that I am convinced that I can offer this sponsorship agreement over five years. With that money, Manchester United can significantly strengthen the squad and also do other things. Within the XXI Century Capital Group, we have a number of brands. It will not necessarily be the XXI Century Capital brand, which you are listed as a sponsor. There may be a new “fire” in the fan group. It could be the Champion Circle, which is the specific fan engagement program, the billionaire says.
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Then we’ll see how Ratcliffe reacts to his former rival’s “Christmas present”.
