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This weekend saw alot hang in the balance with the FA Cup Final vs Manchester City. The final chance of silverware this season is Erik ten Hag’s future at United, and the big one is their last chance at European football next year following their dismal season, coming in eighth place in the Premier League.
Having defied the odds and beaten Manchester City 2-1 thanks to goals from youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, the Red Devils have earned their spot in the Europa League for next season. Or so it was thought.
Reports coming from French outlet L’Equipe suggest that United may not be set to play in the Europa League and may be forced into the European Conference League instead.
This all comes from UEFA’s multi-club rule which sets out that two clubs which are owned by the same entity cannot compete against each other in the same European competition.
This poses an issue with INEOS owning 27% of Manchester United and owning French outfit, Nice.
With Nice finishing fifth in Ligue 1 this season and Manchester United now winning the FA Cup, both are set to be lined up to the Europa Leauge.
Their one saving grace is that the UEFA rules only apply to ownership of a team that passes 30%, which currently INEOS does not. However, the report from L’Equipe states that INEOS is planning to invest a further £235 million, which would take them past the 30% mark.
ManchesterWorld has suggested a potential way around this issue, which could be for both clubs to provide evidence to UEFA of their staffing to show that no joint management is shared between the teams.
Although it’s not clear what INEOS will do, they have come forward to say ‘We are aware of the position of both clubs and are in direct dialogue with UEFA. We are confident that we have a route forward for next season in Europe.”
