Eric Cantona completely dismantles Man Utd co-owner Jim Ratcliffe hours before Europa League tie

Manchester United club legends don't come much bigger than Eric Cantona.

Man Utd fans adore Cantona and when he has a withering assessment to deliver, Jim Ratcliffe and the club's divisive ownership would do well to take it seriously.

As the Red Devils prepared to take on Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and attempt to salvage something from a dismal season in the Premier League, Cantona used an event at the non-league club in which he is a co-owner to air his disgruntlement at Ratcliffe, Ineos and the state of the powerhouse football club they're "destroying".

Cantona was speaking at an event at FC United of Manchester, the Northern Premier League side founded in 2005 as a reaction to Man Utd's ownership by the Glazer family.

"Since [Jim] Ratcliffe arrived this team of directors try to destroy everything and they don't respect anybody," said Cantona of Ineos Group, which owns just over a quarter of Manchester United and oversees football operations at the club.

"I support United because I really love United, but now if I was a fan and I had to choose a club I don't think I would choose United."

Ratcliffe has been criticised on a regular basis since taking over thanks to a slew of cost-cutting measures deemed by Cantona and Man Utd supporters to be out of keeping with the way the club should be expected to treat its staff and fans.

"The soul of the team and the club is not in the players - all the people around is like a big family," added Cantona.

"I think it's very important to respect these people like you respect your manager and team-mates."

Eric Cantona shares a warm embrace with Sir Alex Ferguson. Image: Getty

Ratcliffe, whose proposals to move United away from Old Trafford to a new stadium designed to operate as a Wembley of the North have also angered the former France international, apparently lacks respect when it comes to Alex Ferguson too.

"He doesn't want Sir Alex Ferguson as an ambassador any more. He is more than a legend," said Cantona.

There's only one winner there.

Under Ferguson, Cantona won the Premier League and FA Cup double twice in the mid-1990s as well as one more league title before them and another after.

He's is a member of the Premier League Hall of Fame and is regarded as one of Man Utd's greatest players of all time.