It follows reports that a Qatari group is interested in taking over Man United.
Manchester United could be blocked from playing in the Champions League next season because of UEFA rules around club ownership.
In November, the Glazer family announced they were ready to listen to offers from parties interested in purchasing a stake in the Red Devils.
Since then, it has been widely reported that the family is more interested in offers for a full takeover, with United’s financial advisor, The Raine Group, hoping to complete a full sale of the club in the first quarter of 2023 at a price in the region of £6-7bn.
One party said to be interested in buying the club is a Qatari-based investment group.
The Daily Mail reports that this consists of a group of “private, high-wealth individuals based in the oil-rich state, buoyed by Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup,” with an offer apparently set to be tabled ahead of the mid-February deadline set by the Glazers.
However, this could have consequences for United’s Champions League hopes next season, due to the fact that Qatar Sports Investments already owns another major European club in the form of Paris Saint-Germain.
While there are no restrictions on an owner or group owning multiple clubs in different countries at the same time, UEFA rules state that clubs with the same owner are not permitted to compete in the same competition.
UEFA implemented an ‘Independence of clubs’ rule in 1998, which states that no two clubs participating in a UEFA competition may be controlled directly or indirectly by the same ownership group.
These rules were put in place to protect the competition’s integrity and to combat corruption such as match-fixing.
“No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition,” the rule states.
This is defined as follows:
Having a majority of the voting rights of the shareholders; Having the authority to appoint or remove a majority of the club’s administrative, management, or supervisory bodies;
Being a shareholder and alone controlling a majority of the shareholders’ voting rights pursuant to an agreement entered into with other club shareholders, or Having a decisive influence in the club’s decision-making.
Although the group interested in United is reportedly separate from the group that owns PSG, UEFA may decide that this is still in violation of the above rules.
As a result, if a Qatari group owns United while both they and PSG qualify for the Champions League, only one of the clubs will be allowed to compete in the competition.
Avram Glazer, co-owner of Manchester United, is said to have spoken with potential Saudi investors as well.
Jim Ratcliffe confirmed last month that he had formally begun the process of taking over United.
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