Premier League giants Chelsea may not be allowed to compete in Europe even if they qualify in the 2025/26 season.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are one of the many Premier League clubs part of a multi-club ownership project. And as per UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, there cannot be even a whiff of conflict of interest in European competitions.
Chelsea Could Be Banned From Europe, Even If They Qualify
Chelsea had a pretty decent run in 2024/25. They won the UEFA Europa Conference League, becoming the first club in history to conquer all tiers of European football. They finished fourth in the league to secure a place in the Champions League. And now, they are only a game away from becoming the first team to win the revamped FIFA Club World Cup.
It is safe to say that Chelsea are in dreamland. However, if they aren’t careful, they could find themselves in a limbo next season, barred from competing in Europe in 2026/27.
UEFA Multi-Club Ownership Rules Could Hurt Chelsea
BlueCo, a consortium led by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter, and Hansjorg Wyss, purchased Premier League giants Chelsea in 2022. The following year, BlueCo purchased a 99.97% stake in Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg, establishing a multi-club ownership model. They regularly exchange resources, with Mamadou Sarr’s recent switch from Strasbourg to Chelsea emphasising their collaboration.
While this diversification has decreased risk for the investors, it has opened the door to a potential European ban for Chelsea and Strasbourg. As per UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, no entity can have controlling stakes or influence in more than one club in a European competition. Breaching this rule would result in a European ban for the lower-ranked team. So, if Chelsea and Strasbourg both qualify for the same UEFA competition next season, one of them could be barred.
🇧🇷📸 pic.twitter.com/3boR1Wyl62
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 9, 2025
To circumvent that, clubs must comply with MCO regulations by the cut-off date, which was March 1 in 2025. Manchester United minority owners INEOS put French side Nice in a blind trust last summer to allow both teams to compete in the 2024/25 Europa League season.
Meanwhile, Premier League side Crystal Palace, which shares owners with Lyon, have fallen prey to MCO regulations. FA Cup winners Palace see their Europa League participation hopes in the balance as their owners failed to comply with the rules before the cut-off.
Everton and Leeds United are Also At Risk of UEFA Ban
Everton and newly promoted Leeds United are also part of multi-club ownership models.
The Friedkin Group, which purchased Everton in December 2024, also own AS Roma and AS Cannes. If the Toffees manage to qualify for the same European competition as Roma or Cannes in 2025/26, the Friedkin Group would have to make a tough call.
Season Ticket Members can now purchase their own Season Ticket seat for @Everton's friendly against AS Roma at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday 9 August. 🔵
Buy tickets here: https://t.co/Ii1uGoKrGb pic.twitter.com/TR7riIWthU
— Everton Fan Services (@efc_fanservices) June 30, 2025
Leeds United, meanwhile, are under the ownership of 49er Enterprises, which also owns Scottish side Rangers. Red Bull, which is associated with eight football clubs across the world, also owns a minority stake in Leeds. An overlap could complicate matters for the San Francisco 49ers-backed consortium.
