How Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Manchester United investment could end Champions League dream

Manchester United supporters have been waiting long enough for Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival to be ratified by the Premier League and finally, that confirmation has been announced.

Ratcliffe and INEOS' minority acquisition of the Reds is a changing of the guard at Old Trafford and will be celebrated by those who wished for the Glazers' oversight on the football project to end. While the American family remaining at the club was not the outcome most supporters wanted, this is being deemed as the first step towards full control being relinquished.

At this stage, INEOS are no strangers to acquiring football clubs into their wide-ranging sports portfolio. Swiss club FC Lausanne-Sport and French club Nice are also in the project run by Ratcliffe's group.

READ MORE: Premier League statement as Ratcliffe investment approved

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However, it is his ownership of the Ligue 1 team which could come back to bite United as they pursue Champions League football. MEN Sport has rounded up what Ratcliffe's arrival means for the Reds in Europe.

UEFA's rules state two clubs who are partially owned by the same person or organisation cannot compete in the same competition. Therefore, if United and Nice qualified for the Champions League, one of those teams would not be able to compete in Europe.

The only scenario where two teams owned by the same group can both play in Europe is if one qualifies for the Champions League and the other makes it into the Europa Conference League. In this instance, neither side could face each other in UEFA competitions.

Should United and Nice both finish in the Champions League qualification spots thanks to their league position, the club with the higher