Manchester United co-owners INEOS sack manager as official statement released

The Swiss club, which is part-owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS group, confirmed on Tuesday that they had mutually agreed to end their relationship with the 44-year-old.

Elsner was appointed on 1 June but struggled to make an impact, winning eight of his 12 Swiss Super League matches. Lausanne's poor start to the campaign left them bottom of the table, prompting the club to make a change.

A statement read: “After lengthy discussions about the current sporting situation, FC Lausanne-Sport and Luka Elsner have mutually agreed to end their collaboration.”

His departure comes at a difficult time for INEOS at Manchester United, where Carrick is facing scrutiny following a disappointing run of results.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada (centre) and Technical Director Jason Wilcox

PA

United's supporters have made their frustration with the club's ownership clear in recent weeks, directing criticism towards Ratcliffe and the Glazer family.

Protests continued during Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Roma, when fans threw green and gold balloons on to the pitch in the 21st minute while chanting against the owners.

The atmosphere improved after United produced a second-half comeback to secure a 3-2 victory. Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot before Matheus Cunha struck twice to complete the turnaround.

The decision to part company with Elsner after such a short period is also likely to attract attention given INEOS' involvement in both clubs.

Ratcliffe's group has taken responsibility for football operations at Old Trafford since acquiring a minority stake in United in 2024. The club's hierarchy will be hoping Carrick can deliver more consistent performances and results as they look to restore stability.