LONDON

The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, Jim Ratcliffe, apologized Thursday for “offending some people” after claiming the UK had been “colonized by immigrants” but insisted there must be an “open debate” about immigration.

He faced criticism from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described his remarks as “offensive and wrong.”

“I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth,” Ratcliffe said.

Manchester United did not directly address Ratcliffe’s remarks but said it “prides itself” on being “inclusive.”

His initial comments drew criticism from fan groups and anti-racism organizations.

“You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonized. It's costing too much money. The UK has been colonized by immigrants, really, hasn't it?” he told Sky News.

He also incorrectly claimed that the UK population had risen by 12 million in five years. Office for National Statistics figures show an increase from 66.7 million to 69.4 million.