Manchester United face shock demotion to the UEFA Conference League despite FA Cup win

Manchester United could be relegated to the Europa Conference League despite winning the FA Cup and securing a Europa League spot, Soccernet.football understands.

United’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday confirmed their place in the Europa League for next season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, were demoted to the Conference League, and Newcastle missed out on European competition altogether, despite both finishing higher than Man United on the league table.

However, Manchester United might join Chelsea in the third tier of European football due to their new ownership ties, according to a report by L’Equipe.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s company, Ineos, which owns a 27.7% stake in United, also owns the French club Nice. Nice has qualified for the Europa League by finishing fifth in France.

UEFA rules prohibit multi-club ownership, and Ineos’s increased investment in United, reported to be an additional £245 million, could push their stake above 30%.

This would violate UEFA regulations and potentially force one of the clubs into the Conference League.

Normally, Nice would get priority over United due to their higher league finish, but United’s FA Cup win could influence Sir Ratcliffe’s decision.

UEFA’s regulations state that no individual can be involved in the management of more than one club in UEFA competitions.

This rule previously threatened to exclude United from European competitions entirely. However, UEFA recently relaxed its rules, allowing affected clubs to still participate in other competitions like the Europa League or Conference League.

Earlier this season, Brighton and Aston Villa were permitted to play in UEFA competitions after their owners reduced their stakes in other European clubs to below 30%.