Amid Man United bids, UEFA head hints at owners rule review
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, left, and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford react during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, March 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jon Super)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jon Super]
GENEVA (AP) — UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says it should rethink its rules that prevent clubs in related ownership from playing in the same competition such as the Champions League. Čeferin tells former Manchester United player Gary Neville in an interview that UEFA was “not thinking about United only” in considering a review. Man United owners the Glazer family have invited offers to buy the storied club. A Qatari-funded bid and British industrialist Jim Ratcliffe have declared interest. A Qatari sovereign wealth fund already owns Champions League regular Paris Saint-Germain and Ratcliffe’s chemicals firm INEOS owns Nice, which regularly plays in UEFA competitions.
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Manchester United's Chairman Avie Glazer and Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, left behind, wait for the start of the English League Cup final soccer match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Alastair Grant
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, center, looks on before the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich, at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
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FILE- UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin during an interview with The Associated Press in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 23, 2020. UEFA should rethink its rules that prevent clubs in related ownership entering the same competition such as the Champions League, its president Aleksander Ceferin said Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Manu Fernandez