The winner of next Wednesday’s Europa League final in Bilbao will automatically secure a spot in next season’s Champions League league phase.
However, Manchester United may need to address some ownership-related concerns before they can participate.
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According to Liverpool.com, United could potentially be barred from the Champions League due to their partial ownership by Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos. ..Continue Reading
Ratcliffe holds around 29% of Manchester United and has taken charge of the club’s football operations. At the same time, he owns French club Nice, which currently sits fourth in Ligue 1 and is on course to enter the Champions League third qualifying round.
UEFA enforces regulations regarding multi-club ownership and the participation of affiliated teams in the same competition under its jurisdiction.
However, recent changes to these rules have made it less likely than before that either United or Nice—both of whom competed in the Europa League this season—would face disqualification.
“Under previous UEFA regulations, two clubs under the same ownership were barred from participating in different European competitions,” reads the Liverpool.com report.
“Given that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stakes in both Man United and Ligue 1 side Nice, it would have been impossible for both teams to compete in European football.”
UEFA no longer enforces a strict rule on multi-club ownership affecting participation in European competitions.
Instead, the governing body has adopted a more tailored approach, addressing cases individually—such as Chelsea and Strasbourg or the Red Bull-affiliated teams—on a more frequent basis.
Since no two multi-club ownership situations are identical, UEFA aims to maintain flexibility in its regulations, ensuring that each case is assessed based on its unique circumstances.
“Currently, UEFA evaluates potential conflicts of interest on a case-by-case basis, which is evident from the acceptance of United and Nice in the Europa League, as well as Manchester City and Girona competing in the same season’s tournament,” continues the report.
Discussions between Ratcliffe and UEFA have already taken place and the chances of a ban are vanishingly small.
Liverpool.com quotes Ratcliffe himself: “No, there are no circumstances upon which an ownership of Nice would prevent Manchester United from playing in the Champions League. I’ll be crystal clear on that. We have spoken to UEFA and I have to say the conversation wasn’t directed at, ‘you have to solve this problem and you know we don’t like it’. We have an issue and we might have to change some things.”
As long as key football personnel are not shared between the two teams, that issue should prove inconsequential.
