OGC Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivère assured on Friday that his club would participate in the Europa League even though its owner Ineos also owns Manchester United, also involved in the same European football competition.
This double shareholding could violate article 5 of the interclub competition regulations of theUEFA related to “the protection of the integrity of the competition in relation to the multi-ownership of clubs”.
“We will make the Europa League”however assured Jean-Pierre Rivèreon the sidelines of the press conference to present the new coach Frank Haise.
Last February, the British billionaire Jim Ratcliffeboss of the petrochemical giant Ineos, majority shareholder ofOGC Nicehad become co-owner of Manchester United.
His victory in the final of the FA Cup allowed the Manchester club to secure its participation in the C3to which Nice will also participate after finishing 5th in Ligue 1. “Today, we are playing in the same competition (as Manchester United, editor’s note). We will play in the Europa League. There is no debate on the subject. It requires legal adjustments, positioning. All of this is in progress”has explained Jean-Pierre Rivère.
He did, however, admit to waiting “the final response from UEFA next week. But we have no worries”. A similar case arose last year for the Toulouse Football Clubengaged in Europe League at the same time as theAC Milan, both properties of the investment fund RedBird Capital. THE TFC had to make changes to its organizational chart in order to participate in the European competition.
