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Topics: Manchester United, UEFA, Europa League, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Erik Ten Hag, Champions League, Europa Conference League
Ryan Smart
Topics: Manchester United, UEFA, Europa League, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Erik Ten Hag, Champions League, Europa Conference League
UEFA have made a decision on whether to ban Manchester United from a European competition next season, according to a new report.
United are minority owned by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals company INEOS.
Ratcliffe and INEOS also majority own French Ligue 1 side Nice, who currently sit in fifth place under manager Francesco Farioli.
United, meanwhile, are in sixth place, with Erik ten Hag's side nine points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with a game in hand in the race for the Champions League.
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The key issue for both clubs is that UEFA rules dictate that two clubs who fall under the same ownership cannot enter the same European competition in the same season.
As things stand, both Nice and United would qualify for the Europa League if they finish in their current positions.
Last week, though, UEFA released an updated version of their integrity laws, which states that only one of the two clubs would be permitted to enter if they both qualify for the same competition.
UEFA rules state that the club who finish lower in their respective league would be forced to drop down to the lower competition. Therefore, if both Nice and United qualify for the Europa League, sixth-placed United would theoretically drop into the Europa Conference League.
But the Daily Mail claim that United have 'received assurances' from UEFA that they can take part in Europe's 'second-tier' competition if such a scenario arises.
It is claimed that the club have been in talks with UEFA 'for some time' about such a scenario.
Speaking in February, Ratcliffe claimed that there would be 'no circumstances' in which his ownership of Nice would prevent United from playing in the same European competition as them.
He said: "It [the UEFA rules] says you have to change the ownership structure. So it's all about influence and positions on the board and that sort of thing.
"A: the rules are changing, and B: there are shades of grey not black and white. Manchester City will probably have the problem before we have the problem because they've obviously got [ownership of, through the City Football Group] Girona."