Multi-club owners breathe easier
UEFA won’t kick AC Milan out of the Champions League
7/7/2023, 8:08 p.m
Six clubs are threatened with exclusion from the European Football Cup because they have identical owners. However, after a thorough examination, UEFA considers this to be uncritical – and allows participation. In addition to AC Milan, this also applies to clubs from France, England, Portugal and Belgium.
UEFA’s Financial Control Body has given several clubs the green light to participate in the upcoming European Cup despite concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The clubs concerned had the same owner, but recently made “significant changes” in the structures, the committee said.
Specifically, it is about the combinations AC Milan / FC Toulouse, Aston Villa / Vitoria Guimaraes and Brighton & Hove Albion / Royal Union Saint-Gilloise, each of which has the same club owner.
Article 5 of the European Cup regulations stipulates that no one may influence more than one participating club in the three competitions Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. However, UEFA has now announced that there have been “significant changes by clubs and their investors” in the cases under investigation in order not to violate this rule. The significant changes have resulted in “clubs currently complying with the rules on ownership of several clubs,” it said.
Italy’s Champions League contenders AC Milan and French Cup winners FC Toulouse are both owned by American investment firm RedBirdCapital. In recent weeks, three of the company’s managers have resigned from the French club’s board of directors in order to no longer be able to influence day-to-day business. At the same time, the owners of English Premier League Aston Villa reduced their stake in Portuguese club Guimaraes.
According to UEFA, admission to the European Cup competitions is subject to conditions. For example, clubs linked by their owner will not be allowed to make transfers between themselves until September 2024. The chamber will also “continue to monitor the clubs mentioned with regard to compliance with the provision on ownership of several clubs,” it said.