OGC Nice president admits ‘adjustments to be made’ due to Manchester United’s Europa League qualification

Manchester United’s victory over Manchester City (2-1) in the final of the FA Cup at Wembley, Erik Ten Hag’s side have qualified for next season’s UEFA Europa League, as have Ineos’ other club, OGC Nice, who guaranteed their spot in the competition thanks to a fifth-place finish in Ligue 1. Something will have to give. 

Two clubs with the same owner cannot face off in the same competition, according to UEFA regulations. Speaking after the Ligue 1 finale against Lille OSC last Sunday, Nice President Jean-Pierre Rivère made the following statement: “Adjustments would have to be made. I won’t go into the details but it doesn’t pose an issue,” said Rivère in the mixed-zone post-match. 

With Manchester United and Nice now guaranteed Europa League football, changes will now need to be made, as Rivère alluded to. It is a question of the organisation chart at the respective clubs. Once no Ineos figure is present in the Nice hierarchal structure, the issue of multi-club ownership is erased. 

It remains to be seen what changes will be made over the course of the summer in order to fall in line with UEFA regulations, however, Nice don’t seem concerned by developments.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle