INEOS Responds to Speculation of Potential Champions League Ban for Man Utd

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is crafting strategies to ensure that teams do not get barred from European matches due to multi-club ownership, according to information obtained by 90min.

This matter has again gained attention due to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's upcoming acquisition of a 25% share in Manchester United through INEOS, his enterprise. INEOS is already the owner of OGC Nice, a top Ligue 1 team, and Lausanne-Sport, a Swiss team, among other sports businesses.

Given that Nice is just one point behind Paris Saint-Germain, the leaders of Ligue 1, and is likely to qualify for the Champions League, there are worries about existing rules that could theoretically hamper INEOS, especially as Manchester United is also hoping for European qualification.

According to UEFA's Champions League regulations, no club competing in any UEFA competition can engage in or trade any other club's securities or shares, be a member of any other participating club, involve itself in any other club's management, administration, and sporting performance, or have any influence on the management, administration, and sporting performance of any other participating club.

In 2017, UEFA looked into the connections between RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg when both clubs were set to participate in the Champions League. There were notes of the 'unusually high' volume of transfers between them and resemblances in 'visual identity'. In the end, the governing body of European football determined that both teams were adequately independent and even let them compete against each other in the 2018/19 Europa League group stage.

90min has learnt that INEOS has no plans of relinquishing Nice or Lausanne and is not worried about a potential clash with UEFA once the Manchester United stake is made official. Their plan does not include a full dive into the multi-club ownership model seen elsewhere. INEOS has communicated with UEFA officials and has been assured that there will not be any significant problems in the future.

UEFA recognizes that if guidelines are not adjusted to prevent clubs from being penalized, this could become a recurring issue as ownership groups grow in prevalence. City Football Group owns or has varying shares in 13 clubs worldwide - including Manchester City and five others in Europe. Girona, which currently leads La Liga, is one of these.