Man United news: Keith Wyness suggests fans will be seething at unexpected twist
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness believes fans will be seething as Uefa are set to rule INEOS-owned Manchester United and Nice can both play in the Europa League next season.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – insisted the shock twist has brought into question whether teams under the same multi-club model should be allowed to play each other.
Man United qualified for the Europa League following their FA Cup final success over Manchester City, while Nice booked their spot in the competition courtesy of their fifth-place finish in Ligue 1.
Uefa released an updated version of their integrity laws in March, stating that only one club would be allowed to enter a competition if two sides under the same ownership group were to qualify.
But The Times has revealed both INEOS-owned clubs will be allowed to play in the Europa League next season, with Uefa’s Club Financial Control Board due to issue a ruling stating that Nice should operate via a “blind trust”.
Fans right to expect more integrity after Man United update
Although Wyness believes there is a place for multi-club models, he admitted fans have a right to ask for there to be more integrity in the sport.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think the fans should be disappointed.
“This all goes into the question about the multi-club models, and whether Uefa should be taking a stand against that.
“In theory, I do believe the multi-club model has its place within football. But when it comes to this level – when two clubs are playing each other in the same competition – then the integrity of sport must come into question.
“There has got to be a better solution than just having a short-term, blind-trust solution to this.
“I think the fans do want to see the sporting integrity and understand that you can’t have the same owners with two clubs playing each other in major competitions.
“God forbid there is some sort of mistake in the last minute, but that’s the sort of scenario that could actually happen.
“The fans should want to have the integrity as far as possible and that’s what Uefa should have been managing for.”
In other news, Man United told to pay another £30million to complete defender deal.
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