UEFA have cleared Manchester City to play in the Champions League next season, allowing them to compete alongside sister-club Girona for the first time – but restricting transfer activity between the two clubs.
A crackdown on multi-club ownership groups put City’s involvement in doubt after fellow City Football Group club Girona qualified for the Champions League for the first time last season.
However, after ‘significant changes’ were made to Girona’s ownership structure this week, UEFA have cleared both clubs to play in the expanded edition of the Champions League in 2024/25. However, the clubs have been barred from transferring players between each other until September 2025.
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Earlier this week, Girona confirmed the resignation of three directors with connections to the CFG and City. It was reported by the Times that they were replaced by three lawyers from a Cheltenham-based law firm, while the report also claimed a proportion of the CFG’s shares in Girona were placed into a blind trust.
In a statement, UEFA confirmed that their Club Financial Control Body had opened proceedings involving City and Girona due to ‘a potential conflict with the multi-club ownership rule.’
Now, they say: “Following the implementation of significant changes by the concerned investors in Girona FC (City Football Group), the CFCB First Chamber accepted the admission of Girona FC and Manchester City FC to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.”
UEFA say that City and Girona were able to show that ‘no one is simultaneously involved, directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition’ and that ‘no one has control or decisive influence over more than one club.’
It is added that the changes ‘substantially restrict the investors’ influence and decision-making power over more than one club’ as the CFG ‘have transferred their shares in Girona FC to independent trustees through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the CFCB First Chamber.’
The statement added: “Such blind trust was accepted by the CFCB First Chamber on an exceptional basis for the 2024/25 UEFA competitions. The trustees will regularly exchange information with the CFCB First Chamber during the 2024/25 season.”
UEFA go on to confirm specific restrictions as a result of the changes to the ownership structure at Girona, and also confirmed that ‘the clubs will not transfer players to each other from July 2024 to September 2025. Those restrictions include permanent and loan transfers, plus ‘direct or indirect’ deals – potentially limiting the expected transfer of Savio from Troyes to City this summer.
Savio spent time on loan at Girona last season and had reportedly been considered to return there after City sign him, but that will now not be possible for the coming season. The two clubs are also prohibited from using any joint scouting or player database.
From July 1 2025, the CFG shares in Girona put into the blind trust will be transferred back, UEFA confirmed.