“For me, it’s not about owning anything. It’s not about having trophies to show off. It’s about how we can make Manchester United financially strong and become the number one club not only in England but also in Europe.”
“So I decided to propose a five-year $500m (£375m) sponsorship deal. It goes back to global fan engagement and how we engage fans around the world.”
“We have a program to activate our fans in a very interesting way and I am confident that we can offer this sponsorship deal over a five-year period based on that. With that funding, Manchester United will be able to significantly strengthen their team and do other things as well.”
“There are a number of brands within the XXI Century Capital Group. It is not necessarily the XXI Century Capital brand that is sponsored. It could be other brands within the group. It could also be a specific fan engagement program, Champion Circle.”
Ziliakas has also made clear his desire to work with Ratcliffe at the club. He said: “I would love to work with Sir Jim Ratcliffe. When Jim Ratcliffe, Sheikh Jassim and I were making a bid for Manchester United, I said: ‘Look, instead of outbidding each other and trying to make the Glazer family even richer, why don’t we work together for the benefit of the club?’
“That’s still the way I think. When we work together, we usually get better results. I want to be very involved in the agreement on how the sponsorship works. And when it comes to the development of the club, I’m happy to give my ideas, thoughts and advice, but I don’t impose. I don’t say, ‘Look, you have to include me in some decision-making.’
“But I think there are a lot of things we can do better, starting with player acquisition and how we make our fans more satisfied with everything they experience, both inside and outside the stadium.”
“I also have experience developing sports arenas and have an opinion on stadiums, so I would love to be involved in that. From a sponsorship perspective, this also opens up new opportunities that are a win-win for all parties.”
