Why Jim Ratcliffe could stop Manchester United from playing in Europe next season
Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe could suffer a serious headache from a new UEFA ruling.
He british billionairewho bought a 25 per cent stake in his boyhood club in February, could be left in an awkward position by European football's update on multi-club ownership.
In addition to many other sporting investments, Ratcliffe also owns the Ligue 1 team. Nicewhich was a cause for concern because clubs of the same owner were banned from playing in Europe.
Previously, the CEO of INEOS had assured that there would be no problem in the future, but an update confirms that, while clubs of the same owner can play in Europe, they cannot play in the same competition.
As things stand, that scenario is dangerously close to becoming reality, with United and Nice, both flirting with qualification for the Europa League for the 2024/25 season.
The highest ranked team in their respective league would then occupy the spot, which would be Nice should both teams reach Europe.
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A UEFA source said Sun: “It is true that manchester united and Nice cannot play in the same competition.
“They could play in different competitions, since there is no longer 'feeding' between competitions.”
With fewer European places up for grabs in Ligue 1, Nice are likely to finish higher in the table than United if they both qualify for the same competition.
If both teams reach the Champions League, the team with the last place in the league will be relegated to the Europa League, and the same applies again with regards to relegation to the Europa Conference League.
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Equal results are offset by cup success, whilst a stalemate in league position and trophies will result in United gaining preference due to the Premier League's higher ranking in the 'access list'. ' from UEFA.
city of manchester could face a similar headache as City Group-owned Girona set to match them by qualifying for the Champions League.
However, Pep Guardiola's team are planning for the future and any problems would end if Girona lost their position on the City Group board.
