Sir Jim Ratcliffe enjoyed watching Nice smash Ligue 1 rivals Monaco 3-0 on Sunday after opting against a trip back home to see Manchester United lift their first trophy in nearly six years at Wembley.
Ratcliffe, one of Britain's richest men as the chief executive and founder of chemical giant INEOS, has officially made a bid for a majority takeover at boyhood club United but already owns French side Nice through his company. With split allegiances on Sunday, the Manchester-born 70-year-old chose to back Nice - and his decision paid off.
Continuing their impressive run of form since sacking manager Lucien Favre in January, the men from the south of France romped to victory thanks to the help of former Premier League stars Kasper Schmeichel, Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley. At almost the exact same time, the Red Devils were on their way to winning the Carabao Cup, pulling off a comfortable 2-0 win against Newcastle.
Ratcliffe was buoyant after the match, making his way onto the pitch to congratulate Nice's players and influential boss Didier Digard. Since replacing Favre on January 10, former Nice B manager Digard - who's only 39 - has led the first-team to a whopping six wins from eight games, drawing the other two matches against in-form Reims home and away.
While enjoying the celebrations, buzzing owner Ratcliffe was prompted by a member of Nice's media team, who hailed: "What a game!" The English chemical mogul replied, "Oh yes, absolutely," before sharing a moment with defender and captain Dante, telling the Brazilian and his nearby team-mates, "Well done, guys, well done!," and posing for a group photo in front of their traveling fans.
No wonder Ratcliffe had a smile on his face, too, knowing that the Red Devils were close to wrapping up their victory over Newcastle at a packed Wembley - with Avram Glazer notably in attendance. Representing the club's American owners, Avram sat alongside Red Devils chief executive Richard Arnold as Erik ten Hag's men ended the club's six-year trophy drought.
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By the time that United are next able to reach a cup final, Ratcliffe hopes to be running the show at Old Trafford. With the club on the market for the first time since 2005 - despite Avram and brother Joel's reluctance for a full sale - the INEOS CEO is battling at least one other party in the form of Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani.
"Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have submitted a bid for majority ownership of Manchester United Football Club," a statement issued two weeks ago read. "We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community.
"We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again. We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.
"We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League."
