What happens if Qatar group own Man Utd and PSG at the same time and can both play in Champions League?
MANCHESTER UNITED could be set to join Paris Saint-Germain under Qatari ownership - but if the deal goes through it could result in some unintended consequences.
The Glazers announced in November that they are willing to listen to suitable offers for a stake in the Premier League giants.
But since then, reports suggest that the United owners are now more interested in receiving a FULL takeover bid.
And it appears as if the most recent interest is coming from a Qatari group who have now lodged a tantalising offer just hours before the "soft" 10pm deadline on Friday, February 17.
However, if the same group owned two clubs in European competition it would cause a major problem.
What happens if Qatar own Man Utd and PSG at the same time?
There are no restrictions on an owner acquiring multiple clubs at the same time in different countries.
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For example, the owners of Manchester City also own another 10 football teams around the world.
That means the Qatari group that already own Paris Saint-Germain - Qatar Sports Investment - could bid for Manchester United.
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Can both teams play in Champions League?
No, is the simple answer.
Uefa implemented an 'Integrity of the Uefa Club competitions: Independence of clubs' rule in 1998 which states that no two clubs participating in a Uefa competition may be directly or indirectly controlled by the same ownership group.
This is defined by:
- The majority of the shareholders’ voting rights in another club in the same Uefa club competition;
- Or, another right to appoint or remove a majority of the directors in another club in the same Uefa club competition;
- As well as, majority of the shareholders’ voting rights (through a shareholders’ agreement) in another club in the same Uefa club competition.
Therefore, if a Qatari group owned United while they and PSG qualify for the Champions League, the ownership group would more than likely have to choose who plays in it.
These rules have been put in to place to protect the integrity of the competition.
Are the Qatari buyers the same people as the PSG owners?
The report suggests that the bid for Manchester United would come from separate, individual Qatari investors - effectively not being a part Qatar Sports Investment.
However, that would need to be proved with any ownership test certain to look into potential ties between them.