Tottenham sue INEOS: Jim Ratcliffe’s company accused of breaching sponsorship deal

Sponsorship deal terminated with two years remaining

Tottenham Hotspur have initiated legal proceedings against INEOS, the company owned by Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The North London club argues that INEOS breached the terms of a sponsorship deal signed in 2022 by terminating the agreement prematurely.

Under the five-year partnership signed between Tottenham and INEOS, the INEOS Grenadier model became the club’s official 4x4 vehicle partner. However, the deal was unilaterally terminated by INEOS at the end of 2024. Spurs have not remained silent over the decision, made with two years still remaining on the contract, and have taken the matter to court.

Tottenham file claim at London Commercial Court

According to the application submitted by the club to the London Commercial Court, Tottenham claim that INEOS failed to fulfil its contractual obligations and exercised its termination rights in a legally invalid manner.

INEOS responds: “We had the right to terminate”

INEOS, however, holds a different view. Speaking to Sky Sports News, a company spokesperson said:

"INEOS Automotive has been a partner of Tottenham Hotspur since 2022. The relationship originally began in 2020 with the INEOS Group, and continued via INEOS Automotive in 2022. In December 2024, we exercised our right to terminate the agreement."

Broader pattern of cost-cutting across INEOS sports projects

The tension between Tottenham and INEOS mirrors other recent withdrawals by the company from the world of sport. INEOS had previously ended its partnerships with Sir Ben Ainslie’s sailing team and the New Zealand national rugby team. In the latter case, the rugby federation initially pursued legal action before both sides reached a settlement.

Since acquiring a stake in Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has implemented cost-cutting measures across various sectors. Referring to the economic climate in Europe as a “deindustrialisation,” Ratcliffe has extended this outlook to United, where a significant number of administrative staff were recently laid off.

The lawsuit filed by Tottenham goes beyond a simple sponsorship dispute and could serve as a precedent for how major commercial agreements in sport are managed—and under what conditions they can be terminated.