Man Utd legend Eric Cantona unlikely to be offered role by Sheikh Jassim due to controversial Qatar stance

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is planning to offer Manchester United legends roles at the club if his takeover bid is successful, it has been claimed.

Sheikh Jassim is competing with British petrochemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe to buy United from the Glazer family, while several other parties are attempting to buy a minority stake in the Premier League club.

Should the Qatari banker have his £5billion takeover bid accepted, he will offer United’s greatest players the chance to return to Old Trafford in prominent positions, according to ESPN.

Sheikh Jassim would reportedly open the door for players from United’s 1999 treble-winning outfit, as well as leading figures from the club’s Champions League-winning team of 2008, to represent the club at various levels.

Indeed, several players from those sides are said to have already been approached by Sheikh Jassim’s representatives to discuss the proposal.

Sheikh Jassim, who is the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, wants the club to take advantage of the profile and experience of former greats - just as Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Milan and Barcelona have done.

Could Eric Cantona miss out?

One player who may struggle to secure a position at United under Sheikh Jassim is Eric Cantona.

While he was not part of either the treble-winning side or the 2008 Champions League-winning team, he is widely regarded as one of United’s greatest-ever players.

The Frenchman boycotted the World Cup in Qatar last year and insisted in an interview with The Athletic that those who promoted the tournament, including his former teammate David Beckham, had made a mistake.

Sheikh Jassim is adamant that his bid for United is privately funded through his Nine Two Foundation and is completely separate from the Qatari state.

But it is possible the banker could be unhappy about Cantona's fierce opposition to Qatar hosting the World Cup, given he is from the Gulf country.

Speaking to the Athletic in September 2022 ahead of the World Cup, Cantona claimed it was unfair to berate players for choosing to play in the tournament, yet those in positions of power should be criticised for choosing not to boycott the event.

The United legend said: “Speak about the federations, speak about the politicians, who have the power to say, ‘No, we do not go to the World Cup’.

“We cannot be disappointed if players don’t want to boycott the World Cup, because at the top, the politicians, the presidents, the federations, the ministers… The real power, everywhere in the world, they have the power to boycott it. It is too easy to say the players.”

When asked about Beckham, who was a paid ambassador for Qatar, Cantona added: “I would not do it at all. I do completely the opposite. In January 2022, I started to say that. Maybe I was the first one.

“But I am free to do it. And of course, an ex-player paid to do this kind of thing… It could be they don’t know what has happened there. Or, if they know it, I think they did wrong. I think they made a big mistake. A big, big mistake.”