“Noises coming out of UEFA” – Journalist drops update on Man Utd being banned from Europa League
Mirror journalist John Cross believes Manchester United will find a way to compete in next season’s Europa League, despite a conflict of interest with Ligue 1 team Nice.
Erik ten Hag’s team secured a spot in the Europa League after winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley, even though they finished eighth in the Premier League. This qualification is a significant boost for the club since they wouldn’t have qualified otherwise based on their league position. However, it also brings a major complication.
Earlier this year, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS acquired a minority stake in Manchester United. They had previously taken over Nice in 2019. With Nice finishing fifth in Ligue 1 last season, they also qualified for the Europa League.
Potential Europa League Issues for United
UEFA Prefers United in the Competition
According to The Telegraph, if UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules can’t be met, Manchester United would be the team to move to the UEFA Conference League because Nice finished higher in their league. The club has until Monday to present their case.
However, Cross is confident that a solution will be reached and that UEFA will recognize the advantages of having Manchester United in the Europa League. It’s not unusual for owners to have stakes in multiple clubs, as seen with Manchester City, Brighton, and Aston Villa.
Cross shared his thoughts on Sky Sports’ Back Pages podcast:
“What I would say is, the feedback from UEFA and Aleksander Ceferin recently suggests they understand the need to adapt and be practical. Multi-club ownership is becoming more common among prominent businessmen and major teams.
“They are likely to find a long-term solution, even if it requires some compromises. United has about a week to persuade UEFA, and I believe they will. As one of the world’s biggest teams, Manchester United would be a huge draw for UEFA’s revamped Europa League.
