The 49ers can call their time in charge of Leeds United a relative success so far. The ownership group came in at a time where the club really needed some stability and organization.
Hiring Daniel Farke was a masterstroke on their part, as the German needed just two attempts to bring the Whites back to the Premier League. But since Leeds gained promotion, the decisions from the owners have not been the best. The summer transfer window was one the fanbase was not pleased with due to the lack of investment in quality attackers. Outside that, there are positive signs that Leeds could survive relegation this season.
| Position | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds United | 15 |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 15 |
| 18 | West Ham United | 13 |
| 19 | Burnley | 10 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2 |
This season also marks the 49ers’ first campaign as majority shareholders in Scottish club Rangers. When the deal happened, club chief Paraag Marathe assured fans that the ownership group will do their best to run each club as efficiently as possible. The Scottish Premiership side have had a decent domestic season, but have been abysmal in Europe without a single win in the Europa League.
| Position | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hearts | 35 |
| 2 | Celtic | 32 |
| 3 | Motherwell | 26 |
| 4 | Rangers | 26 |
UEFA ruling could see Leeds United or Rangers miss out on European place
And now, a UEFA ruling could see Rangers or Leeds United at risk of being kicked out of UEFA competitions. This summer saw a whole dispute as Crystal Palace and Lyon both qualified for the Europa League. UEFA decided that Palace co-owner John Textor had “decisive influence” in both clubs, and thus the Eagles were demoted to the Conference League.
UEFA rules do not permit two clubs within an ownership group to play in the same European competition.
The governing body has moved up the deadline of compliance with the Club Financial Control Body for clubs to March 1st next year. The assessment date demands all clubs to ”comply with the multi-club ownership criteria”. This is to provide clarity for teams under this model heading into next season in case a situation like the Crystal Palace-Lyon dispute arises again.
What does this mean for Rangers and Leeds?
Since Rangers are the team currently in contention for European places, nothing will affect Leeds for now. But in the case where the Whites manage to pull off a cup win to qualify for UEFA competition, it means that the governing body will decided which of the two teams will forfeit their place.
So now, teams under multi-club ownership will forfeit their place in said competition. This will be decided by whichever of the two teams finishes lower in domestic competitions. Multiple clubs could be affected by this going forward; aside Crystal Palace and Lyon last season, League of Ireland side Drogheda United and Slovak team FC DAC 1904 felt the same fate.
