Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners have been provided with two options by UEFA in a bid to fix the Champions League conundrum they face next season.
City Football Group (CFG) are set to see two of their sides in Europe's premier competition next year as La Liga side Girona qualified after securing their place in Spain's top four. However, teams under the same ownership are not permitted to participate in the tournament.
If the issue is not resolved, the team finishing higher in their domestic league will be given prominence. As a result City's place in Europe would appear to be secure.
The Associated Press suggest that CFG have been presented with options to comply with UEFA's integrity rules. The group, who lead 13 clubs globally, own City in its entirety and hold a 47 per cent stake in Girona.
A UEFA document is said to suggest that CFG must sell shares to an independent third party so that one stake they possess falls below a 30 per cent threshold. Otherwise, all shares in one club must be transferred to a blind trust overseen by a UEFA-appointed panel.
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The trustee could be picked by CFG. That option has been applied in a compliance deal for AC Milan and Toulouse as a result of their US investor Red Bird Capital.
This season marks the first time Girona have qualified elite European competition. The Catalonia team are also part-owned by the brother of Pep Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola is the manager of Manchester City (Getty Images)The clubs have drawn scrutiny for what is reported to be 'decisive influence', while the Girona's transfer activity could have posed issues. They could be deemed to have 'transferred, permanently or temporarily, three or more players with the other club, directly or indirectly via related parties, during the season'.
Girona have two players on loan who belong to other CFG clubs, Yan Couto, from Man City, and winger Sávio, on loan from Troyes, who is set to join City this summer. Yangel Herrera was sold to Girona by City ,following an initial loan, last summer.
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