Manchester United could be kicked out of the Champions League
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Manchester United face the embarrassing scenario of being banned from the Champions League as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in the club approaches finalization, dailystar.co.uk reports.
Mr Ratcliffe’s long-running quest for a United stake is about to be rubber-stamped with the Ineos billionaire set to take a 25 per cent stake in the club. Ratcliffe’s £1.3bn deal will cause some problems as he owns French side Nice, who are challenging Paris Saint-Germain for the Ligue 1 title.
France are set to be given three automatic spots in next season’s Champions League and a play-off spot, with Nice likely to join the race for Europe’s top clubs. Despite a disastrous start to this season, the Premier League is likely to be awarded five spots in the 36-team tournament, and United will likely want to take part.
However, under UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, neither team will be able to play in the Champions League. In fact, The Sun reports that both sides will only be able to play in Europe if one qualifies directly for the Champions League and the other in the UEFA Conference League.
If both teams qualify for the Champions League in their respective leagues, the club that finishes in the top position will miss out on the spot. In its current form, it’s most likely to be nice. If both clubs finish in the same place, United would be crowned champions as England are at the top of UEFA’s ‘access list’.
Although Nice finished fourth, United could be denied a spot in the Europa League if they lose in the Champions League play-offs and fall to the second tier. But missing out on Champions League qualification, either directly or because of Nice, would be the biggest blow to the Red Devils, who are said to be worth £140m in TV rights and prize money.
A UEFA source told The Sun: Ineos owns Nice and will play a key role in United’s management.
“Unless the regulations change or Ineos sells one of its holdings, neither player will be able to play in European competitions unless one is in the Champions League and the other in the Conference League. ”
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Source: guardian.ng