MANCHESTER giants City and United will both play in Europe after their owners took advantage of a new Uefa loophole.
The two clubs each faced issues over Uefa’s “multi-club ownership” rules and fears over the “integrity” of competitions.
While Premier League champions Man City were guaranteed to be in the Champions League next term, their Spanish sister outfit Girona would have been excluded.
But the boot could be on the other foot in 2025-26 if the Catalan club earn a higher finishing position in La Liga than City do in the Premier League in the new campaign.
Man Utd’s issues came as a direct result of new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking charge at the club because he was already boss of French outfit Nice, who also qualified for the Europa League.
Two months ago, Uefa drafted new guidelines designed to give clubs currently part of the same stable a way to get round the “integrity” issues.
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Ownership groups were told that they can sell shares in EITHER club to an independent third party, as long as one of their stakes reduces to below the 30 per cent “control” threshold.
Alternatively, all shares in one of the clubs could be transferred to a blind trust overseen by a Uefa-appointed panel but with a hand-picked trustee.
And Uefa have now confirmed both the Premier League clubs have taken the second option.
Uefa explained: “The concerned investors have transferred their shares in Girona FC and OGC Nice to independent trustees through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the Club Financial Control Board First Chamber.
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“Such blind trust was accepted by the Chamber on an exceptional basis for the 2024/25 Uefa competitions.
“The trustees will regularly exchange information with Chamber during the 2024/25 season.”
However, the agreement scuppers any chance of United signing Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo or City taking anyone on the books of the Catalan club.
Uefa added: “As additional evidence of their independence, the concerned clubs committed that they will not transfer players to each other, whether permanently or on loan, directly or indirectly, from July 2024 until September 2025.
“The exception is pre-existing transfer agreements that had been entered into before the opening of the proceedings.
“Also, the clubs will not conclude any kind of cooperation, joint technical or commercial agreements between each other.
“And the clubs will not use any joint scouting or player database.”
If the clubs are not in the same Uefa competitions as their sister sides next season, the shares can be transferred back but the share transfers clear the way for all four clubs to compete from September.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
