It is well under way. According to information revealed by The Sun, Ineos would be well placed to buy Manchester United. The offer of the British chemical group, owned by Jim Ratcliffe, would be favored by the Glazer family because it would not concern a full takeover - like that of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani - but "only" a majority stake, which would be in line with the will of two of the five brothers, Avram and Joel, to remain involved in the Mancunian club. On the side of OGC Nice, which Ineos owns, the subject is obviously talking. "The boss made such an investment in Nice that if he can give himself the gift of Manchester, I will be happy for him. This is something that is close to his heart, "said Didier Digard this Thursday at a press conference. The fact remains that at the dawn of this possible (probable?) operation, a question arises for the Gym: could it be impacted by such a takeover?
To discover
- Ligue 1 schedule and results
- Ligue 1 standings
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No risk of disengagement...
The main - and first - risk would be that Jim Ratcliffe decides to withdraw from the French Riviera club in order to focus on the more prestigious one in the North West of England. A prospect that was brushed aside by the coach of the Aiglons. "We know that he will not withdraw from OGC Nice. For us, it won't change anything. There are difficulties for us with financial fair play, we can not do everything and anything. The project can be difficult to understand from an outside point of view but I can guarantee you, internally, that people give 100% to grow this club, "assured Didier Digard in front of journalists. It must be said that nothing prevents you from owning all or part of two clubs, or even more. Timeshare is also in full development: just look at Red Bull (RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, New York RB etc.), City Group (Manchester City, New York City, ESTAC etc.) or Eagle Football (Botafogo, Crystal Palace, Olympique Lyonnais etc.).
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... but a possible problem in case of European qualification
On the other hand, in certain circumstances, the principle of timeshare can cause problems. Under Article 5 of the UEFA regulations, two clubs belonging to the same owner are not entitled to play in the same European competition. This is what Toulouse FC are facing, winners of the France Cup and qualified for the next edition of the Europa League, but who could be deprived of the European Cup because of AC Milan. Thus, in the event that Ineos does buy Manchester United, OGC Nice and the Red Devils will not, for example, both be able to compete in the Champions League. Worse, the same problem would arise if ever the Mancunian team were to get its ticket for the C1 and the Gym its ticket for the C3 because the British team could be returned to the Europa League after the group stage of the Champions League. In other words, the purchase of Manchester United by Ineos could have some consequences for OGC Nice.
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