Mar 27, 2026 14:39-04:00

Roma or Everton – which team will miss out on European competition if the Friedkins don’t resolve the timeshare issue?

The “multi-ownership” issue has cast a shadow over Roma’s season, as they battle in the league for a place in next season’s Champions League, whilst remaining on course, in any case, for qualification for a European competition.

And it is precisely the prospect of a UEFA Cup place that has sparked debate in recent hours over the club’s possible exclusion from the competition. This is because of the well-known rule on multiple ownership: the Friedkins’ other club, Everton, is currently in the running for the same objectives as the Giallorossi, and the chance of qualifying for the same tournament is as high as it is impossible under the regulations.

But if they were to qualify for the same cup, who would be excluded?

ARTICLE 5: WHAT THE REGULATION SAYS
The guiding principle behind UEFA’s decisions in this case is Article 5 of the regulations, which effectively prohibits multiple ownership within the same competition:

To ensure the integrity of UEFA club competitions (namely the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League), the following criteria apply:
No club participating in a UEFA club competition may, directly or indirectly:
- hold or trade in 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 in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition; or
- hold any power in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.

No person may be involved simultaneously, 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.

No natural or legal person may exercise 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 the majority of shareholders’ voting rights;
- having the right to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the club’s administrative, management or supervisory body;
- being a shareholder and, acting alone, controlling the majority of the shareholders’ voting rights by virtue of an agreement entered into with other shareholders of the club;
- or being able to exercise, by any means, a decisive influence over the club’s decision-making process.

WHO IS LEFT OUT?
OK, but if the Friedkins fail to resolve the issue of multiple ownership, who would be excluded if the club qualified for the same UEFA competition? Here too, the regulations are clear, and the rule is set out in paragraph 2 of Article 5:

If two or more clubs do not meet the criteria designed to ensure the integrity of the competition, only one of them may be admitted to a UEFA club competition, in accordance with the following criteria (applicable in descending order):
- the club that qualifies on sporting merit for the most prestigious UEFA club competition (namely, in descending order: the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference League);
- the club that finished highest in the national league providing access to the relevant UEFA club competition;
- the club whose association is ranked highest in the qualification lists.
Between Roma and Everton, who will miss out?
So, between Roma and Everton, which team would be left out if they finished in the same position? The country rankings show that England is ahead of Italy, so if the two clubs were to finish in the same group and in the same position in the table, it would be the Giallorossi who would be left out.