Man Utd to be banned from Europa League?! INEOS speaks out as Nice ownership causes headache due to UEFA rule

French side Nice and United, who are both involved with INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have both qualified for next season's Europa League. However, UEFA regulations state that clubs with the same owner cannot compete in the same competition, which has since cast doubts over whether or not United can compete in the competition.

It was previously claimed that the Red Devils might drop into the Europa Conference League after finishing lower than Nice in their respective league standings. United finished eighth while Nice finished fifth in Ligue 1.

A statement released by INEOS read: "We are aware of the position of the two clubs and we are in direct dialogue with UEFA.

"We are convinced that we have a solution for next season in Europe."

Despite finishing in eighth place, United qualified for the Europa League following their FA Cup victory over Manchester City last weekend.

According to The Sun, a deal has since been reached with UEFA regarding United competing with Nice in the Europa League. The two teams will bypass the multi-club ownership rule in the same competition due to Ratcliffe owning under 30 percent of United currently.

However, INEOS' initial takeover plan includes steps to increase the ownership over the 30% limit, which would mean United violated UEFA rules. If they pass this threshold, one of the two teams would be relegated to the Europa Conference League.

Before plans can be made for 2024-25 and the potential competitions they will compete in, Ratcliffe and United must first decide on the future of Erik ten Hag. Whether or not the Dutchman stays at Old Trafford remains to be seen. Once his future is decided, the club can look ahead to next season and make plans for the ownership structure and how to avoid relegation while competing in Europe.