Newcastle United owners alerted as Man Utd Champions League ban stance emerges

Newcastle United are monitoring the ongoing situation at Manchester United ahead of a potential conflict over their European spot next season.

Man United's season has been far from ideal, but they could still end it on a high note after securing their place in the Europa League final last week. However, that has opened up a new can of worms.

Their 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Club means Ruben Amorim's squad will return to Bilbao in just 10 days to face Tottenham, who triumphed 5-1 against Bodo/Glimt over two legs.

Despite struggling domestically, Ange Postecoglou's team have managed to defeat Man United three times this season. For Spurs, lifting the trophy would break a 17-year drought, while for United, it would provide a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing season.

But of even more incentive is that the Europa League winners automatically secure a spot in next season's Champions League, although this may not necessarily be the case for United. Under previous UEFA rules, two clubs under the same ownership were barred from competing in different European competitions. Given that Sir Jim Ratcliffe holds stakes in both Man United and Ligue 1 side Nice, it would have been impossible for both teams to participate in European football, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Despite a 2-0 loss to Rennes on Saturday night, Nice are well-positioned to qualify for Champions League football next season as they currently occupy fourth place in the Ligue 1 table.

These regulations were revised last year to accommodate the increasing number of clubs under the same ownership. The current UEFA regulations are being applied with a degree of flexibility, as evidenced by Manchester United and Nice both being permitted to play in the Europa League, while Manchester City and Girona are also competing in this season's tournament despite common ownership links.

Man United have already encountered issues due to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's involvement with Nice, notably when Jean-Clair Todibo's transfer to Old Trafford was blocked. However, there are two key reasons for optimism that such problems won't persist.

Firstly, Ratcliffe is considering selling his stake in the French club, and should this occur before a specific deadline—assuming the Red Devils triumph in the Europa League and Nice secure a Champions League qualification spot—there would be no conflict.

Moreover, UEFA has clarified that the rules are not uniformly applied to every case. If Ratcliffe maintains interests in both clubs, there could still be a path for them to participate in European competitions, according to a UEFA statement.

The statement outlined that "no one is simultaneously involved, directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition; and no one has control or decisive influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition."

Therefore, all that is required is evidence that the two clubs operate independently, and Ratcliffe's intention to divest from Nice might bolster their argument should complications arise.

It is a situation that will no doubt be watched closely by Newcastle United's Saudi Arabian owners, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan. They have a majority ownership alongside the Ruben family, but PIF have in the past not hidden their desire to create a multi-club ownership model.

A couple of years ago, reports stated they were in talks over a takeover at Inter Milan while they're also being linked with a buyout at Ligue 1 side Marseille and an unnamed Brazilian club. This hasn't developed further in Europe, although the multi-club model is in operation in Saudi, with PIF having shares in a number of clubs.

A European multi-club stance is believed to still be something PIF haven't ruled out, and they will have noted the conversations Ratcliffe has had with UEFA. He emphatically stated the coexistence of his clubs in European tournaments wouldn't face any obstacles. "No, there are no circumstances upon which an ownership of Nice would prevent Manchester United from playing in the Champions League. I'll be crystal clear on that," he declared last year.

"It says you have to change the ownership structure, you know. So it's all about influence and positions on the board and that sort of thing. A: the rules are changing, and B: there are shades of grey not black and white. Manchester City will probably have the problem before we have the problem because they've obviously got Girona.

"We have spoken to UEFA and I have to say the conversation wasn't directed at, 'you have to solve this problem and you know we don't like it'. We have an issue and we might have to change some things. But what they do recognise is that the multi-club model in many circumstances benefits the smaller club quite a lot."

"They do have a concern that if they stop the multi-club model then you take away quite a lot from the smaller club. Because the smaller club benefits a lot from the bigger club. So that's a good thing. But what they're worried about is if there's ever an accusation that somebody influences the result of a game - lack of integrity. That's the most concerning thing.

"I think my inclination is positive towards multi-clubs, not negative towards multi-clubs. We haven't spent enough time understanding all the details of it yet. Also, the UEFA thing is changing so you have to do it in the light of where you think UEFA is going to finish up, what the handicaps are. There are obviously handicaps involved."

Newcastle, of course, are set to play in Europe next season. They have already qualified for the Conference League thanks to the Carabao Cup triumph over Liverpool, but are hoping to secure Champions League football themselves via the league.