Manchester United can be Banned from Champions League? Why Europa League Win maybe a Curse for Man United

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Manchester United are through to the Europa League final amid a disastrous season, but they may have to face a strict issue ahead of the match.

It has been a season to forget for Manchester United in the Premier League, where they sit in the 15th place at the moment, with just 39 points. But they have conjured up a string of strong performances to advance to the final of the Europa League.

Ruben Amorim's side secured a magnificent 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Bilbao in the semifinal and will now face fellow English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in the final. Also, the added incentive for Europa is that the winner will qualify for the Champions League for next season.

But Man United's quest for next season's Champions League can be in trouble as even winning the Europa may not be enough.

Manchester United can be Banned from Champions League

Man United can be banned from the Champions League due to their ownership. Their potential exclusion from the UEFA Champions League stems from UEFA's regulations on multi-club ownership. These rules prohibit any individual or entity from exerting control or decisive influence over more than one club participating in the same UEFA competition. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, through his company INEOS, holds significant stakes in both Manchester United and French club OGC Nice, both of which are contenders for European competition next season.

What have Man United done to address it?

To address this conflict, INEOS has placed its shares in OGC Nice into a blind trust, a move designed to satisfy UEFA's requirements by ensuring independent management of the clubs. This approach mirrors strategies employed by other multi-club ownership groups, such as the City Football Group with Manchester City and Girona FC.

Why Manchester United are Still not Safe?

However, if UEFA determines that the measures taken do not sufficiently mitigate the conflict of interest, it could lead to sanctions, including barring one of the clubs from the competition. In such a scenario, the club with the lower domestic league finish would typically be excluded. Given Manchester United's recent domestic performance compared to Nice's standing in Ligue 1, United could be the club affected and that can cost them the Champions League next season.