Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe says he’s sorry if some offended by anti-immigrant comments

Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said Thursday that he’s sorry if some have been offended by anti-immigrant comments.

The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United faced criticism by both political leaders and fans after he said the U.K. had been “colonized’’ by immigrants.

Ratcliffe, the founder and chairman of chemicals maker Ineos, is one of Britain’s richest people and an influential voice on politics and the economy.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday that the comments by Jim Ratcliffe were “offensive and wrong.”

Ratcliffe issued a statement on Thursday, saying that he was “sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the U.K. and Europe.”