Manchester City and Manchester United have been cleared to participate in European competitions next season after resolving conflicts over multi-club ownership with Girona and Nice, respectively.
However, UEFA has barred United from signing highly-rated Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
City Football Group owns both City and Girona, while Ineos controls the football operations of United and Nice. UEFA regulations do not permit clubs with the same ownership to compete in the same tournament.
On Friday, the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) of European football’s governing body announced that “significant changes” had been implemented at Girona and Nice to “substantially restrict investors’ influence and decision-making power.”
Additionally, shares have been transferred to a blind trust through independent trustees, which will be supervised by the CFCB.
City Football Group and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group have provided further guarantees to demonstrate the independence of their respective clubs, agreeing not to transfer players “permanently or on loan, either directly or indirectly from July 2024 to September 2025.”
As a result, United will not be able to sign Todibo, the £40m-rated defender Ratcliffe had hoped to acquire.
However, City’s pursuit of Brazilian winger Savio remains unaffected as he has returned to parent club Troyes, also part of the City Football Group, after his loan with Girona expired on June 30.
A CFG source told BBC Sport that City and Girona were in compliance with all CFCB requests.
Ineos stated: “We are pleased with the positive decision from the First Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body, which will see Manchester United play in the Europa League next season. The focus for Manchester United is on the season ahead and performance on the pitch.”
City will be competing in their 14th consecutive Champions League campaign, while Girona qualified for the first time by finishing third in La Liga, their highest ever league position.
Nice appeared poised to qualify for Europe’s most prestigious club competition last season but ultimately finished fifth in Ligue 1. Manchester United qualified for the Europa League by defeating Premier League champions City in the FA Cup final.
It remains to be seen how the situation will be managed long-term, as the shares are set to be transferred back in July 2025. At that point, the CFCB says the clubs will be considered “under the control or decisive influence of their investor.”