Manchester United may be prevented from competing in Europe next season after UEFA upheld its restriction on clubs with the same ownership competing against each other.
UEFA has officially issued its new regulations regarding’multi-club ownership’ concerns.
While clubs under the same ownership umbrella can compete in Europe if they are in different competitions, the prohibition against clubs competing in the same one remains in force.
Ratcliffe and his INEOS Group also own Nice, the French club that is now fifth in Ligue 1 and on track to qualify for Europe.
Despite a regulation amendment, UEFA has confirmed that clubs under the same ownership cannot compete in the same competition.
A source from the organisation confirmed the news to The Sun: “It is correct that Manchester United and Nice cannot play in the same competition.
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“They could play in different competitions, as there is no “feeding” between competitions anymore.”
Erik ten Hag’s club currently trails Tottenham by six points and Aston Villa by nine in the race for European qualification.
However, the FA Cup remains a possible route into European competitions for the club, as even if Manchester City retains their title, the additional league space provided by a European place will go to their opponents.
However, if Nice secures a Europa League spot with a fifth-place finish, they will take precedence over United, forcing the Premier League club to play in the Conference League.
However, if United win the FA Cup this season, they will take precedence over Francesco Farioli’s team, who will be put in the Conference League.
Similarly, if both teams qualify for the Champions League this season, the spot will be awarded to the side that finishes better in their respective leagues.
If both teams finish in the same place domestically, United would still have an advantage due to England’s status at the top of UEFA’s coefficient.
However, there is still a chance that both United and Nice will qualify for the Conference League via their domestic cups, but Nice will remain in a higher league place.
If this is the case, the French side will be handed the spot, leaving United without any European football.
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