UEFA rules on multi-club ownership explained as Girona join Man City in Champions League

Girona are celebrating their first-ever qualification for the Champions League, but their status as part of City Football Group had threatened to ruin their achievement earlier this season.

Michel’s squad overcame 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to secure a remarkable 4-2 victory over Barcelona on Saturday, completing a league double over their fellow Catalan side. Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk was once again on the scoresheet, putting him two goals ahead of Jude Bellingham in the race for the Pichichi Trophy for the league’s top scorer.

Barcelona’s loss not only crowned Real Madrid as champions, but it also guaranteed a top-four finish for Girona, who leapfrogged Barca to take second place. They now sit 13 points clear of Athletic Club with just four games left, a significant improvement on their 10th-place finish last season.

However, there were concerns earlier in the season that their affiliation with City Football Group could jeopardise their European involvement, especially with Manchester City also set for the Champions League next term. Our sister title Mirror Football examined UEFA’s stance on the issue.

As stipulated in Article 5 of UEFA’s Champions League regulations: “No club participating in a UEFA club competition may, either directly or indirectly hold or deal in the securities or shares of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition, be a member of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition, be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition, or have any power whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.”

Additionally, the regulations point out that “No one may simultaneously be involved, either 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.”

The article explains: “No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition, such control or influence being defined in this context as: holding a majority of the shareholders’ voting rights, having the right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the administrative, management or supervisory body of the club, being a shareholder and alone controlling a majority of the shareholders’ voting rights pursuant to an agreement entered into with other shareholders of the club, or being able to exercise by any means a decisive influence in the decision-making of the club.”

The rules suggest that non-compliance could result in only one of the clubs with shared ownership being allowed in the competition. The deciding factors on which club would be excluded include league positions, raising the possibility that both City and Girona could finish second in their respective leagues and face exclusion.

It’s not just City and Girona facing this predicament; Brighton and Aston Villa also navigated through similar uncertainties. Despite concerns regarding Tony Bloom’s Union SG and Vitoria Guimaraes, owned by Villa’s Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, both English clubs were given the green light for European competitions this season.

UEFA acknowledged “significant” alterations to off-field structures before giving the clubs the go-ahead. “More specifically, the significant changes that were implemented relate to the ownership, governance and financing structure of the concerned clubs,” the body said. “These changes substantially restrict the investors’ influence and decision-making power over more than one club, ensuring compliance with the multi-club ownership rule.”