Reports suggest that Manchester United’s eligibility for European competitions next season may be in jeopardy due to Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquiring a minority stake in the club.
Ratcliffe is also the owner of OGC Nice, which is currently positioned fifth in France’s Ligue 1.
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Under UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations, clubs with shared ownership are prohibited from participating in the same European competition.
Although UEFA has recently modified its regulations to permit clubs with common ownership to enter different European tournaments starting next season, the restriction on competing in the same event still stands.
“It is correct that Manchester United and Nice cannot play in the same competition,” a UEFA insider told the Sun. “They could play in different competitions, as there is no ‘feeding’ between competitions any more.”
Should Manchester United and OGC Nice both qualify for the same European competition, UEFA’s regulations dictate that the club with the higher domestic league ranking will be given priority.
Despite this, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously affirmed in February that such regulations will not affect Manchester United’s participation in European tournaments.
“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,” he said.
“Because we would have to find a solution. The rules are changing, and the rules are shades of grey, not black and white. We have spoken to UEFA and I have to say the conversation wasn’t directed at ‘you have to solve this problem and we don’t like it’.
“We might have to change some things but what UEFA recognises is that the multi-club model, in many circumstances, benefits the smaller club quite a lot. It says you have to change the ownership structure.
“So it’s all about influence and positions on the board and that sort of thing. So, a) the rules are changing, and, b) there are shades of grey, not black and white. Manchester City will probably have the problem before we have the problem because they’ve obviously got Girona who are doing well in the Spanish La Liga.”
