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Victor Petkov
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Man United risks disqualification because of new owner
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe also has shares in the French club Nice

Manchester United could have serious problems with their participation in European club competitions next season because of the club’s new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

His company Ineos will soon officially acquire 25% of the shares of the Red Devils, but at the same time it has control over the French club Nice.

This creates a paradox, since according to UEFA regulations, two clubs with the same owner are not allowed to meet in European tournaments. The rules of the football headquarters say the following about matters like this – if two clubs with the same owner qualify for the European tournaments, only the one that finished higher in the table in their domestic league will participate in Europe.

In the next season, the Champions League will be in its new expanded format, due to which three teams from France will qualify directly in the tournament, and the fourth will play a playoff, while 5 teams from England will qualify directly.

The only way for Man United and Nice to play together in Europe is for one club to go directly into the Champions League groups and the other into the Conference League groups, as this would ensure that the two teams cannot meet at any stage from the tournaments.

If the two teams finish in the same place in the Premier League and Ligue 1, Man United will qualify for Europe, as the English championship has a higher coefficient than the French championship.

According to a source in The Sun newspaper, UEFA have said the following: “If the current rules remain in place, the situation is clear. Ineos own Nice and are expected to have an important role in the management of Manchester United. If the rules are not changed, the two teams cannot play together in European tournaments, unless one participates in the Champions League and the other in the Conference League.”