Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's father, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, has claimed that any takeover of Manchester United would be seen as an investment rather than a means to advertise Qatar.
As part of his bid to buy United, Sheikh Jassim has promised to fund improvements to the club, including financing improvements to Old Trafford and Carrington. However, in an interview that was conducted before his son's bid was made official and published by Bloomberg, Sheikh Hamad, the former Qatari prime minister, appeared sceptical about the opportunity to invest in United.
He explained: "I am not a football fan. I don’t like this investment. Maybe it will work well. But you know, some of my sons like this, they always discuss it with me. They’re pushing hard. This isn’t my specialty. Let me put it like this: I am an investor. If it will one day be a good investment, I will think about it. I will not look at it as something you do just as an advertisement."
