Ratcliffe, through his INEOS Group, has injected close to £1 billion into acquiring a 27.7% stake in the team, with the potential for that share to climb to nearly 30% with an additional investment of £238 million.
It’s noteworthy that Nice, a French football club presently holding fifth place in Ligue 1 and poised for European football, falls under the ownership umbrella of the INEOS conglomerate.
In light of these ownership ties, UEFA has officially acknowledged that teams under the same ownership cannot compete in the same tournament.
A UEFA source, when approached by SunSport, confirmed this regulation, stating that while Manchester United and Nice could theoretically vie in separate tournaments, they are barred from participating in the same one due to regulatory amendments.
Presently, Manchester United, under the stewardship of Erik ten Hag, lags behind Tottenham by six points and Aston Villa by nine points in the race for European qualification.
However, Manchester United still harbors hopes, particularly in the FA Cup, which could serve as a gateway to European competitions.
Should Manchester City clinch the league title, an additional league spot would be awarded to their opponents, potentially offering a path to European qualification for Manchester United.
Yet, complications arise due to the shared ownership with Nice. In the event that both Manchester United and Nice secure Europa League berths through their respective domestic league positions, priority would be granted to Nice.
Consequently, Manchester United would be relegated to the Conference League, assuming they secure a Europa League spot through a fifth-place finish.
Nevertheless, if Manchester United were to triumph in the FA Cup, they would secure a spot in the Conference League, relegating Nice to the same competition.
In the scenario where both teams qualify for the Champions League, the team with the superior domestic league standing would claim the spot.
Nonetheless, Manchester United would still be prioritized due to England’s high ranking in UEFA’s coefficient, even if both teams finish level domestically.
