Manchester United’s victory in the FA Cup might not secure their spot in the Europa League next season. This uncertainty arises from UEFA’s rules regarding the ownership of multiple clubs.
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Their recent 2-1 triumph against Manchester City earned them a place in the Europa League, while Chelsea was relegated to the Conference League, and Newcastle was excluded from European competitions.
The issue at hand involves Ineos and its co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who also owns the French club Nice. Since Ratcliffe’s acquisition of Nice in 2019, the club has performed well, finishing 5th in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Europa League.
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Ineos’s ownership stake in Manchester United is 27.7%, with plans to increase it. However, UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations could pose a problem if the stake exceeds 30%, as reported by L’Equipe.
Under normal circumstances, Nice would keep their Europa League position due to a better league finish, with Manchester United ending the Premier League season in 8th place. But Manchester United’s FA Cup win might tip the scales in their favor against Nice.
UEFA’s Article 5.01 b. states that an individual cannot be involved with more than one club in UEFA competitions. While this could have barred Manchester United from European football, UEFA has softened these regulations, allowing a club to participate in another competition if replaced.
Similar situations were resolved by Brighton and Aston Villa by reducing their ownership stakes in other clubs to below 30%. Manchester United may need to take comparable steps to ensure their participation in European competitions for the upcoming season.
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