Man United Could Be Banned From Europa League Due To UEFA Rule

A UEFA regulation regarding multi-club ownership may result in Manchester United’s exclusion from the Europa League.

Both United and Nice, two French teams connected to INEOS CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have earned spots in the Europa League for the upcoming year. It has now been questioned if United can participate in the competition because UEFA rules prohibit clubs owned by the same person from competing in the same league.

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It was previously stated that if the Red Devils finished worse in their respective league standings than Nice, they might be demoted to the Europa Conference League. In Ligue 1, Nice came in fifth place, while United came in ninth.

A statement released by INEOS read: “We are aware of the position of the two clubs and we are in direct dialogue with UEFA.

“We are convinced that we have a solution for next season in Europe.”

After beating Manchester City in the FA Cup last weekend, United advanced to the Europa League despite ending in seventh place.

A settlement has reportedly been made with UEFA over United’s competition with Nice in the Europa League, according to The Sun. Due to Ratcliffe’s current ownership of less than 30% of United, the two teams will be exempt from the multi-club ownership restriction in the same competition.

However, INEOS’ initial takeover plan includes steps to increase the ownership over the 30% limit, which would mean United violated UEFA rules. If they pass this threshold, one of the two teams would be relegated to the Europa Conference League.