Manchester City have set the standard in English football in recent years and last season finally got over the line in Europe to win the Champions League for the first time as part of a treble.
City’s modern success all dates back to the arrival of Sheikh Mansour in the blue half of Manchester in 2008, with the Abu Dhabi royal transforming the fortunes of the club through his investment.
But the ambition of parent company City Football Group, the business entity that actually owns Manchester City, is not limited to running just one team and a global multi-club project was conceived in 2013. Now, the group includes 12 different clubs – and their various constituent teams – with arms in men’s, women’s and youth football across 12 countries and every continent except Africa.
Being part of the same stable as the likes of New York City, Melbourne City and Mumbai City is not a problem when it comes to UEFA rules. But with regulations as they sit technically preventing multiples clubs owned by one entity from competing simultaneously in European competitions, there are issues that need to be addressed and resolved.
It’s not really an issue either with regard to Palermo, Troyes or Lommel, all of whom are second tier teams in their respective countries. The potential problem is in Spain with Girona, who are absolutely flying in La Liga and on course to qualify for the Champions League for the first time ever.
Article 5 of UEFA’s Champions League regulations state that no club in any UEFA competition may: “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.”
The rules are designed to prevent any single entity, be that a person or a group, from holding a controlling authority over several teams, which could create massive questions over impartiality if the two teams in question were ever to meet.
Girona are not fully owned by the City Football Group, but it is the majority shareholder with a 47% stake in the…
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