Milan, Aston Villa and Brighton get UEFA green light

LAUSANNE: UEFA on Friday authorized AC Milan, Aston Villa and Brighton to take part in European competitions next season after they made changes to avoid potential conflict with the multiclub ownership rule.

Seven-time European champions Milan share the same US owners, RedBird Capital Partners, as French Cup winners Toulouse, while Villa’s owners have a stake in Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom became the majority shareholder of Union Saint-Gilloise when he bought the Belgian side in 2018.

European football’s governing body had appointed investigators to study the links between the teams in question, but said it was now satisfied “no one has control or decisive influence over more than one club” participating in its competitions.

European football’s governing body had appointed investigators to study the links between the teams in question, but said it was now satisfied ‘no one has control or decisive influence over more than one club’ participating in its competitions.

“Following the implementation of significant changes by the clubs and their related investors, the CFCB First Chamber accepted the admission of the aforementioned clubs to the UEFA club competitions for the 2023/24 season,” UEFA said in a statement.

“The CFCB found that the significant changes implemented brought the clubs into compliance with the multi-club ownership rule.

It added: “These changes substantially restrict the investors’ influence and decision-making power over more than one club, ensuring compliance with the multi-club ownership rule.”

UEFA has multi-club ownership regulations in place to protect the integrity of its competitions when such teams could be drawn to play each other.

Rules do not allow a