UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body have cleared both Man United and Man City to play in Europe this season as doubts emerged over their participation.
This is a result of both Premier League clubs’ owners also being part of other teams that have qualified for both the Champions League and Europa League, which many would see as a conflict of interest.
Man City and La Liga side Girona, who are both part of the City Football Group, both qualified for the Champions League. Man United, meanwhile, earned a place in the Europa League by winning the FA Cup along with Nice, the Ligue 1 club which is also under the control of Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group.
According to Sky Sports, UEFA have put any doubts to bed and have decided to allow Man United and Man City to compete in Europe throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
However, they have placed some restrictions as they will not be allowed to transfer players between the clubs. According to ESPN, Man United have already seen a move for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo blocked this summer, but there are still other concerns regarding multi-club ownership.
There should be big concerns among fans regarding clubs owned by the same ownership playing against each other in European competitions next season. Although UEFA have stopped transfers between clubs, it is not enough.
Should Man City and Girona meet in the quarter-finals, what is stopping the City Group from deciding to make it easy for the Premier League club as they are more likely to go all the way in the Champions League?
Multi-club ownership is a big problem for football and it is a topic UEFA and FIFA need to make strict rules for as it has the potential to damage the sport going forward.
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