Manchester United and Man City get all-clear to play in Europe alongside sister clubs next season

Manchester United and Manchester City will be allowed to compete in Europe this season alongside their respective sister clubs, Nice and Girona.

INEOS-owned United and Nice are both in the Europa League next season, with City Football Group members Manchester City and Girona having qualified for the Champions League.

Clubs must prove by Monday’s deadline that they comply with UEFA rules protecting the integrity of European competitions, notably the Multi-Club Ownership (MCO) rule.

It states that “no individual or legal entity may have ‘control’ or ‘decisive influence’ over more than one club competing in UEFA club competitions.”

Situations of doubt are then referred to the UEFA Club Financial Control Board (CFCB) to rule on whether rules have been abided by and a verdict will be confirmed on Monday.

The clubs will reportedly be told that next season, 2024/25, will be treated as a transitional season and that rules will be enforced more strongly in future campaigns.

As was used this season in a deal for AC Milan, Toulouse and their investor Red Bird Capital, it is expected that the CFCB will insist Nice and Girona are both operated via a “blind trust”, approved by a UEFA panel.

The Champions League and Europa League take on new formats from the upcoming season, increasing in size from 32 teams to 36.

For the first time, no sides eliminated in the Champions League group stages will drop down to the Europa League.