City Football Group: UEFA Writes Manchester City’s Owners Over Links With Girona

European football governing body, UEFA has sent a warning to the parent company of Manchester City, City Football Group, over its investment in the Spanish La Liga club, Girona.

City Football Group who became famous across the football world after their successful investment in Manchester City have a couple of investments in other clubs across Europe. One of the clubs where its investment has started yielding massive dividends is Girona.

Girona used to be a mid-table club in La Liga but this season, they enjoyed one of the most unprecedented runs and even looked like a title contender at some point.

In 36 league games, Girona recorded 23 wins, 6 draws and just seven defeats which left them on the third spot on the league table with a guarantee that they will play in the UEFA Champions League next season.

Hence, they are likely to face Manchester City who are currently on the verge of winning their fourth Premier League title in a row this season.

City Football Group’s majority ownership of Manchester City and Girona is against UEFA’s multi-club rules about entry into continental-wide competitions. Hence, one of the clubs will have to be demoted to the Europa League.

According to the rules, in the case of two clubs owned by one entity qualifying for the Champions League, the club that finished lower in their respective league will make way for the other. In this case, Girona will have to drop for Manchester City.

To avoid this, UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) has written City Football Group to reduce its 47 per cent ownership of Girona so that the Spanish side can compete in the Champions League alongside Manchester City.

CFCB letter said that if an entity “holds 30 per cent or more of the club’s total shares, the shareholders’ or members’ voting or economic rights”, this constitutes “the capacity to exercise a decisive influence in the decision-making of a club”.

UEFA has given the group a June 3 deadline to reduce their stake in the Spanish club. To avoid the hasty sale of the shares, the football body has given the group the option of temporarily transferring the shares into a blind trust under UEFA supervision.