The European Football Association “UEFA” (UEFA) on Friday gave Milan, Aston Villa and Brighton, England, the green light for continental participation next season, after the three clubs made the necessary adjustments to avoid any possible conflict with the multi-club ownership rule.
Milan – the 7-time European Champions League champion – is owned by the American “Redbird Capital Partners” group, which also owns the French Cup champion Toulouse, while the owners of Aston Villa own a share in the Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes.
Brighton owner Tony Bloom became the majority shareholder in Union Saint-Gilloise when he bought the Belgian club in 2018.
UEFA appointed investigators to study the links between the clubs involved, but said it was now satisfied that “no one has control or decisive influence over more than one club” that participates in its competitions.
“After implementing important changes by the clubs and investors concerned, the first chamber of the Financial Supervisory Authority for Clubs (in the Confederation) agreed to accept the aforementioned clubs in UEFA club competitions in the 2023-2024 season,” UEFA said in a statement.
He added, “The Clubs Control Authority found that the significant changes that were implemented brought the clubs into compliance with the multi-club ownership rule. These changes significantly restrict investors’ influence and decision-making power over more than one club, ensuring compliance with the multi-club ownership rule.
The federation established laws related to the multiple ownership of clubs to protect the integrity of its competitions, especially in the event that two teams belonging to the same person or group confront each other.
As part of compliance with the rules, none of the clubs that share ownership will be able to transfer players between themselves, either permanently or on loan until September 2024.
Milan is participating in the Champions League, and Brighton, Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse are participating in the “Europa League”, while Villa and Vitoria are in the qualifiers for the “Conference League” competition.
