If Ratcliffe had been co-owner of Manchester United in 1992, Eric Cantona would not have joined the club from Leeds United.

Earlier this year, Ratcliffe apologized after claiming that the UK had been "colonized" by immigrants. However, in a recent interview with the BBC, he again stated that the UK was "going backwards" due to immigration issues.

Cantona is one of Ratcliffe's favorite players. The British billionaire named the company acquiring up to a 29% stake in Manchester United "Ineos" (previously associated with tributes to Cantona's famous speech), but the Frenchman has sharply criticized Ratcliffe over his views.

Ratcliffe, who lives in Monaco where he pays no tax, said: "Unfortunately, right now I think the UK is going backwards. It's difficult to see how we are going to reverse that decline.

"I think ultimately, we need politicians who are strong enough to deal with some really difficult problems. Nobody has the guts to deal with immigration, nobody has the guts to deal with welfare. But someone has to do it, otherwise it will end badly."

Cantona is currently touring Ireland with an event called "An Evening With King Eric Cantona".

Well-known Manchester United fan Pete Boyle asked Cantona for his thoughts on Ratcliffe's recent comments about immigration, and whether he would have joined Manchester United more than thirty years ago if Ratcliffe had been a co-owner of the club.

"No," Cantona answered bluntly. When asked to elaborate, Cantona said: "Of course not. You know my opinion on this political stance. I cannot understand how someone in a position as a club owner can say such things."

Cantona added: "Football is a sport deeply loved by the masses. The reason football is football—all the greatest players come from different waves of immigration. Whether in France, England, or anywhere else, it's the same.

"Take France as an example. France's greatest players have all come from different waves of immigration. I made a documentary about it called 'French Football: A History of Immigration'. Raymond Kopa in the 1950s was descended from Polish immigrants; his parents came to France, worked there, and toiled there.

"Then there were those of Italian descent, like Platini. And then those of Spanish descent, like me; my mother came from a family of Spanish refugees. I cannot accept such rhetoric."

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