How Manchester United could be banned from the Champions League in 2024/25 | OneFootball

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to clinch a deal to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United in the coming days, but the imminent deal already looks to be posing problems for the Red Devils. The issue surrounds the billionaire's ownership of Ligue 1 club, OGC Nice.

The English giants could face a ban from the Champions League, should Erik ten Hag's side gain qualification in the 2023/24 campaign. This does look like an increasingly difficult task with United currently sitting in sixth place in the Premier League, five points off the top four places that traditionally gain English sides qualification into Europe's elite competition.

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One saving grace on the club's side is that the re-formatting of the Champions League for the 2024/25 season could see England gain an extra automatic qualification spot. However, Ratcliffe's ownership of Nice could throw a spanner in the works for the Red Devils.

Should both clubs qualify for the 2024/25 Champions League, problems will arise as UEFA's 'multi-club ownership' rules prevent two clubs that share the same owners from both participating in Europe's top competition. The only way for both sides to play continental football is if one qualifies for the Champions League and the other qualifies for the Europa Conference League.

That is still a firm possibility with Man United facing consistency issues in the league so far in the 2023/24 season. Nice are sitting second in the French league, only behind Paris Saint-Germain and look like early favourites to secure automatic qualification to the Champions League. The new coefficient looks set to see France awarded a third automatic spot, with one play-off spot for the fourth-placed team.

This all just goes to complicate the issue further, as if both teams do qualify for the Champions League, the higher-placed team will be granted entry while the other will be banned. However, if the two sides finish in the exact same league position, United will gain qualification into the competition due to England being at the top of UEFA's 'access list'. To simplify the position United find themselves in, they must at least equal Nice's league position in order to guarantee Champions League football.

UEFA confirm Man Utd face ban

A UEFA spokesperson has confirmed, per The Sun, that United do face expulsion from the Champions League as they said:

This information only comes into play if United do in fact hold up their end of the bargain and finish in a qualification place. A gap has started to form between the clubs in the current top four in the Premier League - Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham - and the rest of the teams vying for continental football. It is still early in the season, but Nice certainly look favourites for the higher-placed finish.