Manchester United’s place in next season’s Europa League is in jeopardy despite their recent FA Cup victory over Manchester City. The 2-1 win at Wembley secured their spot in the European tournament, but UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules could see them banned.
UEFA regulations prohibit two teams owned by the same entity from competing in the same tournament. Manchester United and Nice are both partially owned by INEOS, which fully owns Nice and holds a 27% stake in Manchester United, with plans to increase this to over 30%.
In December 2023, Manchester United announced an agreement for INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe to acquire up to a 25% share of the club, potentially violating UEFA’s rules. Nice secured their Europa League spot with a fifth-place finish in Ligue 1. If INEOS fails to resolve the ownership conflict, one of the clubs could be relegated to the UEFA Conference League, likely affecting Manchester United due to their lower league finish.
A similar situation affects Manchester City’s parent company, City Football Group, which owns 47% of Spanish club Girona. UEFA recently mandated that City Football Group reduce its stake to allow Girona to compete in the Champions League.
The updated UEFA rules aim to prevent any “decisive influence” over multiple clubs in the same tournament. Both Manchester United and Nice have yet to announce their next steps in response to this issue.
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