Chelsea face being banned from Champions League next season if they finish in the top five

Chelsea could face a Champions League ban unless they comply with a UEFA demand.

With just three matches left in the Premier League season, the Blues are currently in fifth place, two points ahead of Nottingham Forest in sixth.

Given the Premier League's co-efficient score, finishing fifth would secure Chelsea's spot in next season's Champions League. The last time the Blues participated in Europe's top-tier competition was in the 2022/2023 season.

During that campaign, they made it to the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Real Madrid. The task for current manager Enzo Maresca is to ensure his team finishes in the top five this season.

Maresca has also guided the Blues to the Europa Conference League final, where they will face Real Betis. Winning this competition or finishing sixth in the Premier League would qualify Chelsea for next year's Europa League.

However, the ownership situation at Stamford Bridge could pose challenges for the Blues. The club is currently owned by BlueCo, a consortium that also holds a controlling stake in Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is currently sixth in the French top-flight, which would qualify them for the Europa Conference League. However, with only two games left, they are just one point behind Monaco, who occupy the final Champions League group stage qualification spot.

They are also level on points with Nice, who are currently fourth, but trail on goal difference. The team that finishes fourth in Ligue 1 this season will earn a place in the Champions League qualifiers.

Strasbourg, helmed by English manager Liam Rosenior, are on a strong run since the March international break and even triumphed over reigning champions PSG last week.

As they face Angers and Le Harve in their last two fixtures with both adversaries caught up in the relegation tussle, Strasbourg's potential victories could be a double-edged sword, presenting unexpected complications should they clinch a Champions League spot.

UEFA's stance against multi-club ownership models participating simultaneously in their competitions has been clear.

BBC Sport reports that BlueCo has been engaging with UEFA from January about adopting a structure that conforms to these regulations.

To evade any clashing interests with board members or staff involvement across respective clubs, there's talk of manoeuvring Strasbourg into a 'blind' trust. Alternatively, BlueCo might consider scaling down their ownership in one of the clubs to align with UEFA's criteria.

On a related note, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has taken action ahead of a potential Champions League spot as Olympiakos edge closer to clinching the Greek league title. Marinakis has legally abdicated his status as a "person with significant control" of the enterprise owning Forest.

Despite this restructure, both the Greek shipping tycoon and Chelsea's proprietors maintain steadfast dedication to their respective clubs.

Should their paths cross in UEFA's premier tournament, both Chelsea and Strasbourg will be prohibited from engaging in any transfer activities with each other, a dictum designed by UEFA to preserve competitive integrity.

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