Uefa confirm major decision on Man City Champions League participation & impact on player transfers
Manchester City will be allowed to compete in the Champions League but some loan moves have been banned.
Uefa have confirmed Manchester City and sister club Girona will be able to compete in the 2024/25 Champions League.
Concerns had been raised earlier this year that the clubs would not be able to both participate in the same competition due to Uefa’s multi-club ownership. But European football’s governing confirmed on Friday that changes made by City in recent weeks meant both sides are able to play in the Champions League this season.
Giorna confirmed earlier this week that that John MacBeath, Simon Cliff and Ingo Bank have stepped down as board members of the Spanish side, all three of whom have links to City or City Football Group (CFG). They were replaced by Matthew Shayle, Edward Hall and Paul Hunston.
Meanwhile, CFG have decreased their ownership in Girona to around 30 percent with shares placed into a blind trust which must be operated independently. That, it appears, has satisfied Uefa. In a statement on Friday they said that both clubs had been accepted as participants in the upcoming Champions League campaign, the same as Manchester United and Nice, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe owning shares in both clubs.
Uefa said City’s changes ensured, “No one is simultaneously involved, 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; and no one has control or decisive influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition.”
This in turn ‘restrict the investors’ influence and decision-making power over more than one club’, with the additional CFG shares in the blind trust set to be returned from 1 July.
Uefa also announced City and Girona are also not allowed to transfer players permanently or temporarily for the next three transfer windows, nor can there be ‘any kind of cooperation, joint technical or commercial agreements between each other’ or sharing of scouting networks.
The new restrictions could potentially prevent the expected transfer of Savio from Troyes to City this summer. The 20-year-old spent time on loan at Girona last season and was expected to return to them this window, something that is not forbidden.
City have often utilised their close links with Girona to facilitate loan moves for a number of players, with the likes of Douglas Luiz, Alex Garcia, Pablo Maffeo, Marlos Moreno and Yan Couto having joined the La Liga club on temporary deals.