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Not many thought it would be an issue, at least for this season, but Manchester United’s FA Cup final victory provided INEOS with a pleasant headache.
The victory qualified United for the Europa League next season and with it, questions over Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s owner status at Old Trafford started circling.
Under UEFA’s rules, two clubs under the same ownership cannot participate in European competitions.
Of course, the matter was pretty much a non-news from the moment it sprang up, as RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg can attest to.
However, it still needed some talks between the involved parties and UEFA to ensure all legalities were taken care of.
Now, it seems like Sir Jim is willing to take the most extreme step for United so that this issue doesn’t even arise in the future.
The Independent reports that his company are looking to sell their stake in OGC Nice completely to avoid any issues in the future.
The report states that UEFA has allowed one transition season for both clubs to get their act in order before more stringent rules could possibly make it impossible for them to compete in the same tournament next season.
Sir Jim achieved a boyhood dream by becoming part-owner at United, a club he grew up supporting, so he wants to invest all his time and effort into reviving this fallen giant.
However, the report makes it clear that after initial suggestions, any move for OGC Nice is still in the early stages and no quick resolution is expected.
They have this season to sort it out as OGC Nice have been placed in a “blind trust”, an entity separate from INEOS to prove differentiation in ownership with United.
However, it would still signal a strong sense of commitment towards United from the fans’ perspective, a breath of fresh air after years of apathy by the Glazers.
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