Man Utd could miss out on the Champions League next season even if they finish in the top four as UEFA breach details emerge
It has been suggested that Manchester United may not qualify for the Champions League next season, even if they finish in the top four.
Under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, the team has shown significant improvement this season. They won the Carabao Cup earlier in the season, which was their first major trophy in seven years, and are still competing in both the FA Cup and Europa League.
Currently, they are in third place in the Premier League, but they are only three points ahead of Newcastle United, who are in fifth place. Despite their position, there is still a chance that they could miss out on Champions League football next season, and here is why…
Mancester United to miss out on Champions League?
The Glazer family, who own Manchester United, are currently considering different options for the club’s future. Recently, both Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim from Qatar made new offers to buy the team.
According to ESPN, if Ratcliffe, a wealthy British businessman, ends up buying Manchester United, he may have to sell his shares in the French club Nice to prevent either team from being disqualified from the Champions League.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin recently stated that the organization was willing to ease its rules on owning multiple clubs, but if Jim Ratcliffe were to purchase both Manchester United and French club Nice, he would still violate current regulations.
Article 5 of UEFA’s rules prohibits two teams under the control of the same entity from participating in the same competition. Thus, if Ratcliffe maintains ownership of both teams, either Nice or Manchester United would breach Article 5.02 of the UEFA regulations.
Therefore, Ratcliffe would need to sell his stake in Nice if he wants to avoid this issue.
In the scenario where both Manchester United and Nice qualify for the Champions League in the same season, the team with the higher finish in their respective league would be prioritized to participate in the competition.
For instance, if Manchester United finishes fourth in the Premier League and Nice finishes third in Ligue 1, then Nice would be granted a spot in the Champions League.
It is improbable that this situation will happen this season, as Nice is currently in seventh place in Ligue 1, trailing behind the top teams by 13 points and having limited chances of making it to the Champions League.
Man Utd could miss out on the Champions League next season even if they finish in the top four as UEFA breach details emerge
