INEOS BANNED after Man Utd decision

Tom Weber

Updated: 25 Sept 2024 17:14 BST
3 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Man Utd, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

INEOS have been barred from making contact with Manchester United's sister club OGC Nice by UEFA, according to French media.

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The British petrol behemoth, owner by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, acquired the Red Devils earlier this year to fulfil their CEO's dream of owning his boyhood club. Man Utd were added to a club network that already included Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland and Ligue 1 side Nice.

However, with both Nice and Man Utd qualifying for this season's Europa League, INEOS' ownership has led to some complications. In the summer, the Manchester giants wanted to sign their affiliate's star centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo but were prohibited from completing the transfer by UEFA.

The governing body's rules do not allow for clubs owned by the same people and playing in the same competition to do business with each other, which drew the ire of Ratcliffe. Todibo ended up joining West Ham.

Now, with the Europa League campaign commencing, L'Equipe reports that INEOS have been told by UEFA to distance themselves from Nice for the rest of the season.

Nice become de facto independent

The outlet reports that Nice have de facto become an independent club again as INEOS have been barred from making any contact with the Ligue 1 side.

This is the same process RedBird Capital went through last season due to their ownership of Toulouse and AC Milan. Though the two clubs qualified for different competitions, UEFA enforced their rules as Milan could still have dropped down to the Europa League over the course of their Champions League campaign.

Nice's shares have been handed over to a trust for the duration of the current season and no club official is allowed to make contact with INEOS. This includes, of course, Ratcliffe and even INEOS Sport CEO Jean-Claude Blanc.

There have been tentative reports that Ratcliffe is looking to sell his shares in Nice to avoid future complications, but little has developed on that front since the rumour initially surfaced.