July 05, (THEWILL) – UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) First Chamber has granted Manchester City and Manchester United permission to participate in European competitions alongside their sister clubs, Girona and Nice.
The decision, announced on Friday, comes after both clubs’ ownership groups implemented significant changes to comply with UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations.
City Football Group, which owns Man City and Girona, and INEOS Sport, controlling Man United and Nice, have demonstrated to UEFA that no individual is involved in administering or has decisive influence over more than one club. To ensure compliance, the investors have transferred their shares of Girona and Nice to an independent trustee under CFCB First Chamber supervision until July 2025.
UEFA emphasised that the changes made to ownership, governance, and financial support of the concerned clubs substantially restrict the investors’ influence and decision-making power. Additionally, the clubs have agreed not to transfer players between each other until September 2025, further ensuring fair competition.
The CFCB First Chamber will continue to monitor the situation throughout the 2024/2025 season to ensure ongoing compliance with the multi-club ownership rule. This decision allows Man City and Girona to compete in the UEFA Champions League, while United and Nice can participate in the UEFA Europa League.
This ruling comes as a significant boost for the clubs involved, particularly City and Girona, who finished first in the English Premier League and third in La Liga respectively. United, FA Cup winners, and Nice, fifth in Ligue 1, will now focus on their Europa campaigns without the cloud of potential disqualification hanging over them.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
