A key milestone was reached by Manchester City last season when they won their first Champions League trophy as part of a treble.
In recent years, Manchester City has been a dominant force in English football, and they achieved this milestone the previous season.
It is possible to trace the success of the club back to the advent of Sheikh Mansour in 2008, whose investment completely changed the fortunes of Manchester City.
Nevertheless, the parent organization, City Football Group, has goals that go beyond merely having a single club, and in 2013, they launched a concept that involves multiple clubs situated all over the world.
There are now twelve separate clubs that are part of this group.
These clubs represent men’s, women’s, and youth football throughout twelve countries and every continent with the exception of Africa.
In accordance with the laws of UEFA, there are no problems associated with being affiliated with clubs such as New York City, Melbourne City, and Mumbai City.
However, the regulations technically forbid multiple clubs owned by the same entity from competing in European championships at the same time simultaneously.
The issues that this raises need to be addressed and remedied as soon as possible.
The possible problem emerges with Girona in Spain, although clubs such as Palermo, Troyes, and Lommel are not serious issues because they are teams that compete in the second division of their respective nations.
Girona, which is currently performing remarkably well in La Liga and is on pace to qualify for the Champions League, is owned by City Football Group to the extent of 47%.
No club that is competing in a UEFA competition is allowed to exert any kind of control or influence over another club that is competing in the competition, as stipulated by the statutes of UEFA.
Due to the fact that UEFA rules give preference to the club that finishes higher in its domestic league, Girona’s prospective success presents a conundrum.
Due to the fact that Manchester City is owned by multiple clubs, it is highly improbable that UEFA will forbid the club from participating in the Champions League.
On the other hand, this problem brings to light the necessity of changes being made to regulations in order to avoid clubs from being penalized in cases like these.
Similar worries were voiced in relation to the fact that INEOS holds a portion of Manchester United’s ownership, but UEFA provided assurances that there would be no serious problems that would occur.
In the past, RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg have demonstrated how clubs have successfully negotiated the restrictions of UEFA by implementing significant organizational changes.
These adjustments were made in order to minimize any apparent controlling influence, which ultimately ensured compliance and eligibility for European competitions.
