There has been distressing news for Manchester United from UEFA this morning. Newcastle has been completely removed from European competitions, while Chelsea has been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League.
Manchester United might also be relegated to the third tier of European competition, similar to Chelsea.
This situation arises because of Ineos, the firm owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which also owns the French team Nice. Nice finished fifth in France’s top division, securing a spot in the Europa League for this season.
Ineos recently acquired a 27.7% stake in Manchester United, raising concerns for the Old Trafford club under UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations.
According to L’Equipe, Ineos’s investment comes with a commitment to invest an additional £245 million in infrastructure projects, which would increase its ownership stake to over 30%.
Surpassing the 30% ownership threshold would breach UEFA’s regulations and potentially force one of the teams to be relegated to the Conference League.
Article 5.01 b of UEFA’s rules states that no individual can be involved in any capacity in the management, administration, or sporting performance of more than one club competing in a UEFA tournament.
As a result, Manchester United faced the risk of being entirely excluded from European football.
This potential outcome underscores the complexity and strict enforcement of UEFA’s multi-club ownership policies, which aim to ensure fairness and integrity in European competitions.
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