UEFA Matter - Drogheda United

[attack!attack!attack]

IF (big if & unlikely) Drogheda United are excluded due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules (because of their shared ownership with Silkeborg IF), their spot would go to the next-highest placed team in the league with a UEFA license - which is us

Something worth keeping an eye on. But again, err on the side of: it is more likely to get resolved.

https://droghedaunited.ie/club-statement-uefa-matter/

[TenaciousDee]

Don't get too excited. Similar circumstances as Man City/Girona and Man U/Nice this season and all were allowed to compete in the same competition.

[attack!attack!attack]

Don't get too excited. Similar circumstances as Man City/Girona and Man U/Nice this season and all were allowed to compete in the same competition.

V true, clubs like City/Girona and United/Nice were allowed to compete, but under UEFA Article 5 (Integrity of the Competition – Multi-Club Ownership), two clubs under the same control can’t both participate in UEFA competitions in the same season. That’s where I think it might get tricky for Drogheda.

Those bigger clubs avoided exclusion by proving no decisive influence - restructuring boards, reducing shareholdings, separating finances, and showing operational independence.

For Drogheda, as a League of Ireland club owned by Trivela alongside Silkeborg, that’s surely a much harder and slower process. If UEFA finds Trivela has “decisive influence” over both clubs, one will be removed - and it’s likely to be Drogheda, not Silkeborg (who are from a higher-ranked league).

I’m with you Dee, probably unlikely - but still worth watching.

[dcfc_jp_1989]

Don't get too excited. Similar circumstances as Man City/Girona and Man U/Nice this season and all were allowed to compete in the same competition.

The way around it is reducing their stake to less than 30% in one club by selling their shares to an outside investment group or transferring their entire shares to a blind trust overseen by UEFA.

Trivela paid something like £15m for the Danish club 6 months ago I doubt they'll sell them & given the short time frame they won't find a buyer for Drogheda so will probably have to use the 2nd option & you'd imagine it will be their shares in Drogheda that they transfer.

Silkeborg finished higher in their domestic campaign than Drogheda & if a solution isn't found its Drogheda who miss out

[marcoloco]

Same thing happened Nottenham Forrest this season but their owner just moved his shares into a Trust which solved the problem. Easier for bigger clubs to resolve.

[attack!attack!attack]

Update: forget about it unless many many many stars align.

Although I did enjoy wallowing in false hope the last 12 hours.

https://t.co/m5i7VFxjuR

[dcfc_jp_1989]

Update: forget about it unless many many many stars align.

Although I did enjoy wallowing in false hope the last 12 hours.

https://t.co/m5i7VFxjuR

Yeah we didn't apply for a UEFA licence & neither did the other teams outside of the 4 who qualified meaning Ireland will lose their 4th spot for this year

[attack!attack!attack]

Precedent and all that: Crystal Palace dealt a little blow by UEFA after attempting the 'blind trust' cop out, which was rejected ( huge lol):

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... trust-move

Will this result in Drogheda getting kicked out and us taking their place? Probably not.

Will this result in anything positive at all happening for us? Probably not.

Is this even relevant to us? Mildy.

Will I get completely carried away without sufficient evidence to back it, have the passport at the ready, and let my mind wander considering the spectacular possibilities of facing (and being potentially eliminated) by a bucket team from Liechenstein? ABSOLUTELY.

[dcfc_jp_1989]

Precedent and all that: Crystal Palace dealt a little blow by UEFA after attempting the 'blind trust' cop out, which was rejected ( huge lol):

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... trust-move

Will this result in Drogheda getting kicked out and us taking their place? Probably not.

Will this result in anything positive at all happening for us? Probably not.

Is this even relevant to us? Mildy.

Will I get completely carried away without sufficient evidence to back it, have the passport at the ready, and let my mind wander considering the spectacular possibilities of facing (and being potentially eliminated) by a bucket team from Liechenstein? ABSOLUTELY.

Yeah I'm just after reading another article saying that the deadline for any changes of ownership is 1st March fir them to kick in for the following season. Also saying Forest will be promoted to the Europa League & Brighton will get the Conference League spot. Given all that I find it hard to see how Drogheda get around it if the deadline has passed & how we can't get Drogehda's spot if Brighton get Palace's spot. I think Drogheda & Palace will either get their spot & rightfully so or neither of them will

[stevebradley]

Precedent and all that: Crystal Palace dealt a little blow by UEFA after attempting the 'blind trust' cop out, which was rejected ( huge lol):

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... trust-move

Will this result in Drogheda getting kicked out and us taking their place? Probably not.

Will this result in anything positive at all happening for us? Probably not.

Is this even relevant to us? Mildy.

Will I get completely carried away without sufficient evidence to back it, have the passport at the ready, and let my mind wander considering the spectacular possibilities of facing (and being potentially eliminated) by a bucket team from Liechenstein? ABSOLUTELY.

Yeah I'm just after reading another article saying that the deadline for any changes of ownership is 1st March fir them to kick in for the following season. Also saying Forest will be promoted to the Europa League & Brighton will get the Conference League spot. Given all that I find it hard to see how Drogheda get around it if the deadline has passed & how we can't get Drogehda's spot if Brighton get Palace's spot. I think Drogheda & Palace will either get their spot & rightfully so or neither of them will

Isn't the problem that we don't have a License to compete in Europe for 2025-26, and the deadline for getting one has just passed?

[dcfc_jp_1989]

Precedent and all that: Crystal Palace dealt a little blow by UEFA after attempting the 'blind trust' cop out, which was rejected ( huge lol):

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... trust-move

Will this result in Drogheda getting kicked out and us taking their place? Probably not.

Will this result in anything positive at all happening for us? Probably not.

Is this even relevant to us? Mildy.

Will I get completely carried away without sufficient evidence to back it, have the passport at the ready, and let my mind wander considering the spectacular possibilities of facing (and being potentially eliminated) by a bucket team from Liechenstein? ABSOLUTELY.

Yeah I'm just after reading another article saying that the deadline for any changes of ownership is 1st March fir them to kick in for the following season. Also saying Forest will be promoted to the Europa League & Brighton will get the Conference League spot. Given all that I find it hard to see how Drogheda get around it if the deadline has passed & how we can't get Drogehda's spot if Brighton get Palace's spot. I think Drogheda & Palace will either get their spot & rightfully so or neither of them will

Isn't the problem that we don't have a License to compete in Europe for 2025-26, and the deadline for getting one has just passed?

Apparently so yes but exceptions can made too. If Brighton are in line to take Palace's spot maybe they applied for a licence in the chance they qualified themselves?

[stevebradley]

Yeah I'm just after reading another article saying that the deadline for any changes of ownership is 1st March fir them to kick in for the following season. Also saying Forest will be promoted to the Europa League & Brighton will get the Conference League spot. Given all that I find it hard to see how Drogheda get around it if the deadline has passed & how we can't get Drogehda's spot if Brighton get Palace's spot. I think Drogheda & Palace will either get their spot & rightfully so or neither of them will

Isn't the problem that we don't have a License to compete in Europe for 2025-26, and the deadline for getting one has just passed?

Apparently so yes but exceptions can made too. If Brighton are in line to take Palace's spot maybe they applied for a licence in the chance they qualified themselves?

You never know, and I'd love to be wrong here - but I can't see UEFA being minded to make an exception just for us. It would knacker their entire licensing deadlines moving forwards, so why would they?

[dcfc_jp_1989]

Isn't the problem that we don't have a License to compete in Europe for 2025-26, and the deadline for getting one has just passed?

Apparently so yes but exceptions can made too. If Brighton are in line to take Palace's spot maybe they applied for a licence in the chance they qualified themselves?

You never know, and I'd love to be wrong here - but I can't see UEFA being minded to make an exception just for us. It would knacker their entire licensing deadlines moving forwards, so why would they?

I agree with you. Its an interesting scenario for UEFA as I'm sure Drogheda will be watching the Palace situation very closely you would also think Palace will be aware of Drogheda's situation too

[attack!attack!attack]

MAJOR UPDATE: Drogheda have been notifed by UEFA that they are facing expulsion from the Conference League.

Drogheda now plan to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, they are out - unlikely this is overturned.

Contrary to early doubters, I knew this was one to follow. However, won't benefit us anymore due to no license.

The next team in line, Derry City, didn't apply for a UEFA license as we did not expect to be in Europe. UEFA rules state that only clubs with a valid license can be nominated as replacements. Since we didn’t apply, we're ineligible. Unless another licensed Irish club can step in, Ireland will lose the European spot. UEFA doesn’t grant exceptions for clubs without licenses, even if they finish next in line in the league.

[dcfc_jp_1989]

MAJOR UPDATE: Drogheda have been notifed by UEFA that they are facing expulsion from the Conference League.

Drogheda now plan to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, they are out - unlikely this is overturned.

Contrary to early doubters, I knew this was one to follow. However, won't benefit us anymore due to no license.

The next team in line, Derry City, didn't apply for a UEFA license as we did not expect to be in Europe. UEFA rules state that only clubs with a valid license can be nominated as replacements. Since we didn’t apply, we're ineligible. Unless another licensed Irish club can step in, Ireland will lose the European spot. UEFA doesn’t grant exceptions for clubs without licenses, even if they finish next in line in the league.

The only other Irish side is Athlone because of their women's team but UEFA don't allow 2nd tier clubs into Europe unless they are cup winners.

Be interesting going forward if Irish sides who don't qualify for Europe apply for UEFA licences in a "just incase" scenario

[marcoloco]

how much does a license application cost and why wait until you win something? Surely this is something that the big clubs should just be renewing every season? Us and others included.

The shame is for drogheda. They deserved it. Their fans deserved it. The town deserved it.

But rules are rules and its good that the multiclub model is being patrolled by UEFA.

[dcfc_jp_1989]

how much does a license application cost and why wait until you win something? Surely this is something that the big clubs should just be renewing every season? Us and others included.

The shame is for drogheda. They deserved it. Their fans deserved it. The town deserved it.

But rules are rules and its good that the multiclub model is being patrolled by UEFA.

The unfortunate thing about the whole situation is that when Drogheda won the cup in November, Trivela didn't even own the Danish team but they did complete the takeover not long after

[Greengo]

Why must licences be renewed each year though. Surely having played in Europe the last 4 seasons we must have something in place because of that ?

[marcoloco]

Why must licences be renewed each year though. Surely having played in Europe the last 4 seasons we must have something in place because of that ?

We didnt have a new stand on any of those previous 4 seasons...

Ironically the ground is in better shape but the capacity is now 1800 more.

That's quite a jump - circa 40% increase in capacity.

[dcfc_jp_1989]

What you could find coming out of all this is the team next in line for European football being compelled to apply for licence. For anyone that understands it the league's UEFA co-efficiency will take a hit as the points earned by the other 3 clubs will still be divided 4