Manchester United’s co-owners, INEOS, have announced they are in discussions with UEFA concerning their planned participation in next season’s Europa League. This participation has been called into question due to INEOS’ connections with the French club Nice.
Manchester United, having finished eighth in the Premier League, were initially poised to miss out on European football. However, they secured a spot in the Europa League by winning the FA Cup, defeating Manchester City 2-1 in the final at Wembley.
As a consequence of United’s FA Cup victory, sixth-place Chelsea will compete in the Conference League, and Newcastle, who finished seventh, will not participate in European competitions at all.
However, the issue arises from INEOS holding stakes in both Manchester United and Nice. Nice also qualified for the Europa League by finishing fifth in Ligue 1, creating a potential conflict with UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership. These regulations prevent teams under the same management from competing in the same competition.
Given that United finished lower in their domestic league, they face the risk of being relegated to the Conference League instead of the Europa League.
Nevertheless, INEOS remains confident that a resolution will be found to allow both clubs to participate in the Europa League.
A statement from INEOS reads, “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.” This statement suggests INEOS’ optimism about navigating the multi-club ownership rules.
Their confidence is bolstered by the fact that INEOS’ stake in Manchester United is under 30%, which aligns with UEFA regulations.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS initially acquired Nice in 2019 for a reported €100 million. His partial acquisition of Manchester United was finalized earlier in 2024. This dual ownership situation is not unique in European football.
For instance, the City Football Group’s 47% stake in La Liga side Girona could also lead to complications regarding their participation in the Champions League. Despite these potential issues, it is expected that UEFA will reach agreements that allow both teams to compete in their respective tournaments.
The precedent for such resolutions can be seen in UEFA’s handling of the Red Bull-owned clubs, Leipzig and Salzburg. In recent years, UEFA has permitted both clubs to compete in the same tournament, and they have even faced each other in official competitions.
This indicates that UEFA is open to finding solutions that allow clubs under the same ownership to participate in the same competitions, provided they comply with specific regulations.
Manchester United’s situation highlights the complexities of modern football ownership, where multi-club ownership models are becoming more common. The discussions between INEOS and UEFA will be closely watched as they could set further precedents for how such cases are handled in the future.
Ensuring that both Manchester United and Nice can compete in the Europa League will require careful negotiation and adherence to UEFA’s regulations. However, the confidence expressed by INEOS suggests that they are well-prepared to address these challenges.
