A year ago
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is concerned that Manchester United could become a "toy" after a Qatari investor officially offered to buy the team.
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On Friday, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, chairman of one of Qatar's largest banks, QIB, sent an offer to Raine Group, which is overseeing the sale of United on behalf of the Glazer family.
However, they face competition from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, who confirmed their bid on Saturday, as well as other US corporations.
There has been much controversy and hostility towards Qatar's efforts, in part due to well-documented human rights issues in the Middle Eastern country.
Rodgers, who travels with Leicester to Old Trafford on Sunday, also has concerns, not least because of the amount of money being spent on football in general. Asked about his views on the deal during his pre-match press conference, the Foxes boss said:
“When you come back, he is the richest man in town owning the local club and it is a great honor for him. Those times have changed.
'It's getting harder and harder. For us, money can distort reality and I think it's important that game governance be taken care of.
“With that, I mean keep the playing field as even as possible, otherwise it's going to be top 4 then top 6 or top 7. 'It's hard. When teams can go out and spend whatever money they can, it is inevitable that the level between the clubs will grow further apart.
Since 2010, Leicester has been part of Thailand's King Power Group, a team praised by fans for their successes not only on the pitch but also in real life.
And Rodgers hopes whoever takes over at United will put the interests of the fans above their own, adding:
“If people come to finance, that's great. However, it must have a good reason.
“Football in this country means everything, it means a lot to a lot of people around the world, but I just want to say from here in England, it really means a lot to everyone. "It's a really competitive league, it's great to be in it, there's a lot of tactical and qualitative challenges, but at the same time you don't want a club to be a toy.
“We are all just club keepers. Take care of them for supporters. This is something that I have always considered important.
"If I look at our assets here, yes, it's a very wealthy family, but the fans are at the heart of everything they do - the experience they're trying to give them." I'm sure other clubs have stories of how they've helped their communities.
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