AC Milan, Aston Villa, Brighton to participate in Europe competitions
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UEFA has granted AC Milan, Aston Villa, and Brighton permission to participate in European competitions for the 2023/24 season.
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UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin at the 47th Ordinary Congress in Lisbon. (AP)
UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe, has authorized AC Milan, Aston Villa, and Brighton to compete in European competitions for the upcoming 2023/24 season.
The decision comes after the clubs made necessary changes to ensure compliance with UEFA's multi-club ownership rule and to avoid potential conflicts.
AC Milan, the seven-time European champions, shares the same US owners, RedBird Capital Partners, as Toulouse, the French Cup winners.
Similarly, Aston Villa's owners have a stake in Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes, while Brighton owner Tony Bloom became the majority shareholder of Union Saint-Gilloise in 2018.
The multi-club ownership regulations implemented by UEFA aim to safeguard the integrity of its competitions, particularly in cases where teams with shared ownership could potentially face each other.
In a statement, UEFA confirmed that the clubs and their related investors have made significant changes that limit their influence and decision-making power over more than one club, thereby ensuring compliance with the multi-club ownership rule.
As part of adhering to these regulations, the affected clubs are prohibited from transferring players to each other until September 2024. This measure further mitigates any concerns about potential conflicts of interest or unfair advantages that could arise from shared ownership.
AC Milan has secured a spot in the prestigious UEFA Champions League, while Brighton, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Toulouse will participate in the Europa League. Aston Villa and Vitoria Guimaraes, on the other hand, are set to compete in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Conference League.
