Nottingham Forest confident they met UEFA multi-club rules before deadline | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest believe they have acted in time to comply with UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules should they reach next season’s Champions League by winning the Europa League.

The Premier League strugglers face Aston Villa in a two-legged semi-final. According to NY Times, the club are satisfied their compliance steps were completed before the March deadline imposed for such cases.

UEFA bars any individual or entity from exerting control or decisive influence over more than one club in the same competition, otherwise only one can enter. Owner Evangelos Marinakis also controls Olympiacos and Rio Ave, with Olympiacos pushing for a Champions League place.

Companies House filings on Friday 17 April confirmed Marinakis had ceased to be a person with significant control at Forest and stepped back from his City Ground role. The timing prompted questions, but the club say the changes were actioned at the end of February.

As required for compliance, shares were placed into a blind trust run by independent trustees, limiting Marinakis’ influence. Forest say transfers awaited Premier League approval, with oversight by Pittville Four Limited, and the owners’ and directors’ test concluded late last week.

On 28 February, Jonathan Owen, Simon Forster and Michael Dugher resigned from the board as part of the restructuring. Companies House has since recorded the appointments of Eleanor Walsh, Henry Hickman and Janet Gibson, which Forest say were agreed and submitted to UEFA ahead of the deadline.

Forest face Villa over two legs, with Freiburg or Braga awaiting the winners.

Source: NY Times