Tottenham suing Jim Ratcliffe's company, the owner of Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur have filed a lawsuit against Ineos, the multinational chemical company owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United. The legal dispute was filed on 13 June, and fresh details have now been revealed by The Telegraph.

Ineos, a British-based firm, initially partnered with Spurs in 2020 when they became the club's official hand sanitiser supplier during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The partnership was strengthened in 2022 with a new sponsorship deal focused on promoting the Ineos Grenadier, a 4x4 vehicle marketed as “the club’s 4x4” for a five-year period. According to The Telegraph, the deal was valued at £17.5m.

Spurs seek over £11m in lawsuit against Ineos

The relationship has since soured, with Ineos expressing a desire to exit the sponsorship arrangement by the end of 2024. Spurs responded by filing legal action, seeking £11m in damages for what they claim is a breach of the agreement.

The North London club allege Ineos failed to pay the latest annual instalment of over £5m, due in December 2023, as well as an additional £500,000 linked to inflation adjustments, which they say was owed in August.

Tottenham say they terminated the contract in March due to these outstanding payments, and they are now pursuing at least £5.2m in compensation, along with interest and other potential costs.

The original contract reportedly included annual payments starting at £2.1m, increasing to £4.6m by the fifth year.

Mounting problems for Ineos in the sports world

Ineos has denied wrongdoing, stating that the company has met all legal obligations. A spokesperson told The Telegraph: “Ineos Automotive has been a partner of Tottenham Hotspur since 2022, expanding a relationship established with the club in 2020.”

Ratcliffe’s group also claimed it is “perfectly normal to review partnerships” and decided the agreement with Spurs was no longer suitable. Tottenham have declined to comment publicly on the matter.

This is not the only high-profile sponsorship issue facing Ineos. In April, Ineos Britannia withdrew from the America’s Cup sailing competition following reported disagreements with sailor Sir Ben Ainslie regarding team ownership.

The New Zealand rugby union side, the All Blacks, are also reported to have launched legal action against Ineos for an alleged breach of their multi-year sponsorship deal, set to run until 2027.