Manchester United’s participation in next season’s Champions League would be subject to approval by UEFA even if Ruben Amorim’s side emerge victorious from the Europa League final on May 21.
The Red Devils have endured an abysmal campaign domestically, having made early exits in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup while being languished in 15th in the Premier League table.
Success in the Europa League – which provides automatic qualification into the Champions League – would prove invaluable for United in terms of the significant financial boost participation in Europe’s elite competition provides.
United will face off against Tottenham Hotspur in the final in Bilbao next week – a side they have lost three times to already this season.
However, even if the Reds were to put their domestic rivals to the sword in Spain, the club would still require approval from UEFA to confirm their Champions League spot next year.
This is due to INEOS – who gained full control of the football operation at Old Trafford last year after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ratification as co-owner – retaining a stake in OGC Nice.
The French side are currently 4th in Ligue 1 with one game of the campaign to go. Should Nice better Lille’s result on the final day, they will be confirmed entry into next season’s Champions League.
But, under UEFA’s previous rules, two clubs who shared ownership could not participate in Europe in the season, even if it was in different competitions. This would have prevented United from joining Nice in the Champions League, should both of Ratcliffe’s sides secure their paths.
However, this rule has since been changed to an approach which considers a “case-by-case basis”. This has previously enabled Manchester City and Liga side Girona to play in this season’s Champions League, while United and Nice were both permitted to play in the Europa League.
But, the Manchester Evening News contends, there remains the possibility, however small, that UEFA could rule against INEOS and “Man United could be banned from Champions League next season if they win Europa League.”
The report describes the “worst-case scenario” for Sir Jim Ratcliffe would be United “not allowed to play in the Champions League next season” due to this overlap in ownership.
INEOS were forced to take a number of steps last summer to enable UEFA to approve United and Nice’s crossover in the Europa League.
An agreement was struck that the two teams would not “engage in any level of cooperation, technical or commercial agreements.” The transfer of players between the two clubs was banned, as well as the sharing of resources in terms of scouting databases.
Ratcliffe was also “forced to transfer his shares in Nice into a ‘blind trust’, meaning decision-making at the French outfit rests solely under control of a trustee, with other changes also taking place at board level,” the Manchester Evening Newsreveals.
But this process is set to reverse at the end of the season as the “shares in Nice are due to be transferred back on July 1 this year”. This would require Ratcliffe to then take an identical approach over the summer should his French side be joined by his English one in qualifying for the Champions League.
Because if not, the Red Devils face the unthinkable prospect of beating Spurs in Bilbao but spending the season outside of Europe next year. Unthinkable, but unlikely as well, as it’s fully expected UEFA would approve United’s qualification once INEOS repeat last summer’s process.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
