Ineos are confident of convincing UEFA that both Manchester United and Nice can play in the Europa League next season.
United’s new investors have until next week to satisfy Europe’s governing body that they will not be in breach of multi-club ownership rules if both teams enter the competition.
United qualified after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, while Nice finished fifth in La Liga.
If an independent panel rules against Ineos then United would have to drop into the Europa Conference because they finished lower in their domestic competition than Nice, ending up eighth in the Premier League.
Ineos bought the French club in 2019 and acquired a 27.7 per cent stake in United this season. However, a further £245million investment in United has been pledged by Sir Jim Ratcliffe that will take Ineos’ stake above the 30 per cent threshold under UEFA rules.
Ineos believe they can convince UEFA that Man United and Nice can play in the Europa League
United could drop into the Europa Conference League if Ineos can’t convince UEFA that they won’t be breaching multi-club ownership rules
Ineos are hopeful a compromise can be found and issued a statement saying: ‘We are aware of the position of both clubs and are in direct dialogue with UEFA. We are confident we have a route forward for next season in Europe.’
It’s understood that if Ineos cannot convince the panel that the two clubs are run entirely separately, they may consider altering the ownership structure at Nice.
