Girona await clearance to play in Champions League due to Man City link | ESPN FC

Alex Kirkland joins ESPN FC to discuss Girona qualifying for the UEFA Champions League but needing clearance to due so next season because of their connection with partner club Manchester City.
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[@Kuddochan]

Leipzig and Salzburg literally played in the same group a while back. Girona will be fine too

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

One is outright owned by Red Bull and the other is a major sponsor with the 50+1 rule. So there is no conflict. Not the same with City and Girona who are owned outright by City Group.

[@ezraezra2928]

Earlier this season, Milan and Toulouse were still allowed to play in Europa League, despite being owned by RedBird. Both teams didn't face each other in the knockout playoffs due to the rules.

[@PharmacyAve]

They deserve to play

[@PeterPan-ht6yl]

Nah, they don’t

[@Samuel-cr9mc]

​@@PeterPan-ht6ylI am sure your team isn't playing?

[@BarkingRef_BlameLona]

@@PeterPan-ht6yl city dont deserve to play!!

[@donjustice8492]

Why can’t Girona play at the expense of Manchester City?

[@AhmadAttar-lz3sq]

Why do people ask d**ba** questions?

[@ozoneA6]

"Paradirect" relations. Meaning city have affiliations with Girona's ownership.

[@princevageta3726]

Girona can go to the final with city and then let them win

[@VJ29110]

Dumb question

[@Sadviolinsound]

No ones answering your question 🤣 basically wgen 2 teams who have the same owners can't play together, the team who is at a lower position will miss out, only way city will be ban is for city ti finish beloe girona position

[@obriantho.1641]

I'm sure they will play Champion League next season 100%

[@timboshanghai6785]

They shouldnt cant have the same owner for two clubs

[@russellward4624]

​@@timboshanghai6785they don't. They're minority owners. Like 15 or 20%

[@michaelclarke8367]

​@@timboshanghai6785Who came up with that rule?

[@timboshanghai6785]

@@michaelclarke8367 quite a competitive disaster no? Doesn’t make for a fair game. Owner could call the shots

[@RMCF22x]

@@timboshanghai6785 Leipzig and Salzburg played too , Idk whats the big deal now . Girona absolutely earned it

[@ibrtalks9218]

When REDBULL salzburg and REDBULL leipzig have no problems, then why girona and city who don't even have idemtical names and are partly owned by city group i believe🤔

[@lisaruhm6681]

In order to use loopholed to bypass 50+1 RB Leipzig is officially a strange club form, with a low number of people, who have a say in it, so technically they are not owned by Red Bull.

[@jascha2765]

cuz Leipzig is not "officially" owned by Redbull unlike Salzburg. On paper theyre just getting sponsred by Redbull. Thats the Difference between Redbull and the City Group Teams

[@_A7X]

​@@lisaruhm6681Girona deserves to play..They didn't break 115 rules

[@russellward4624]

​@@jascha2765the biggest difference is city only own 15% of Girona.

[@keystone6162]

Salzburg separated themselves from Leipzig on paper. They did enough to satisfy UEFA. This is just a formality and red bull went through the same thing.

[@_A7X]

Girona needs to play champions league.. they play in a TRUE AUTHENTIC league with INTEGRITY They are champions league material

[@blank1933]

La Liga and Integrity what an irony. Has the 2 most corrupt clubs in football history

[@shaquillethomas1544]

And they can be a new upcoming Spanish team that can do damage in UCL

[@omizzle35]

Girona will play in Champions. But Barca are definitely fighting for 2nd place. As Alex said, 2nd goes to Supercopa next year

[@rafayatulalamrifat6057]

If i am not wrong An Austrian club owner and a German clubs owner is same. But i am not sure if these two clubs played in the champions league in same year

[@Joswag]

Who would replace them Athletic, or a qualifier team?

[@ezraezra2928]

The CFG is not all about Manchester City and Girona. New York City FC won the MLS Cup back in 2021. Melbourne City also won the A-League at the same year as NYCFC. Finally, there's Yokohama Marinos from J1 League. They were playing in the Champions League Final (of course, AFC) against Al Ain (and won 2-1 on the 1st leg).

[@francisxavierderyzunuo1427]

If both can’t play, then City will have to sacrifice their place for Girona. Man they deserve to write their history in good notes. I don’t see this actually being a problem yes they have the same owner(s) but they’ve got some differences.

[@user-mo2rp4eu1e]

Hmmm some of you if they give you a football club it will collapse in 1 week

[@marduk3633]

you increase the amount of playing time, but cap the financial might...

[@enockt6218]

Man next year Champions League will be lit. Aston villa Girona Leverkusen Will be fun to watch how it will go for them.

[@Prasko131]

Lol Aston Villa literally lost to a Greek team. They will be last in their group

[@ezraezra2928]

Bologna as well. Plus, the return of Stuttgart and Roma (if they finished 5th).

[@Sam-fq5qu]

​@@ezraezra2928Roma won't make it. Atalanta will

[@ezraezra2928]

@@Sam-fq5qu And they are also playing in UEL Final. A win means automatic promotion to the Champions League.

[@greenery8434]

It does matter if they finish second for the CL next season

[@timberhoff]

Also lewa will still try to get the top scorer spot just to show a little finger to everyone else. Some small motivation

[@Enterthedarkness23]

They deserve to play. Unlike their daddy club, Girona did not violate FFP rules or have the FA paid off. They're not cheaters and earned their victories.

[@jascha2765]

without the city money they would still be in the second division lol

[@arifdariz7109]

They reach to second position in LaLiga because They played well Money get you nowhere!

[@marduk3633]

ffp is bollocks. if ffp was used during fergie time, he would only win one trophy.

[@russellward4624]

Neither have city.

[@russellward4624]

​@@jascha2765so would Real, utd, lfc and everyone else.

[@mamadousy9632]

If Girona though somehow FINISHED WITH MORE POINTS THAN MAN CITY (Regardless of they win the league or not) City will go the Europa Conference League then

[@astroidroach1873]

Dnt be silly 🤣😭😂

[@_A7X]

​@@astroidroach1873City should be in national League 😂😂 CHEATS with 115 breakages 😂

[@neikomccalla2623]

City just needs a win to get 88 points which is the most Girona can get. City isn’t losing their last 3 games. So that is out of the question.

[@russellward4624]

​@@_A7Xkeep crying

[@mdhowlader2295]

@@_A7X too much sodium not good for you

[@judithorestes]

Learnt a new word Duopoly

[@yashvardhansingh9779]

Love these clubs challenging the hierarchy of europe , makes these leagues more entertaining and breaks the dominance of traditional clubs

[@wokeaf1337]

CL Knockout Stage: Girona - ManCity Master who is allowed to win? Let me toss a coin... Girona it is....this time.

[@Mohamad-mi2ti]

Yokohama F marinos also CFG club... They're in the AFC Champions League final

[@JoseSandoval-uf5gq]

Man City doesn't play in the AFC Champions League. That's the difference

[@ezraezra2928]

Yokohama were winning 2-1 vs Al Ain on the 1st leg. Only 1 game away for becoming the championsl

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

As long as the board of directors for the club has no attachment to City Group the corporation, then there is no conflict of interest between club owners. So Girona should be fine to play. Side note, pep guardiola's brother is the president of the board of directors for Girona.....

[@roberthuffmann8204]

Of course they can, stop manufacturing controversy

[@sumethanarulanantham9676]

Both city and girona will play in UCL . I see no dramas here !

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

They will not

[@shaquillethomas1544]

​@@signoresantinoburnett1169they will,only if City sell the minority percentage of Girona,that's the only way

[@A.Rostov]

No .They can't.

[@A.Rostov]

The law should be changed now .Two teams financially owned by same company can't play in same competition. No way

[@stephbass1311]

They deserve to be in the champions league.Manchester City won the champions league and did they give Girona players a medal or trophy common they deserve to be in the champions league

[@TravelTheCraftyLife]

Why should city play and girona not?… it should be city that shouldn’t play with all the rules they’ve broken…

[@DanielAstro44]

Pretty fu***d up policy

[@Prasko131]

You must be an oil fan and want only oil clubs to play in UCL

[@DanielAstro44]

@@Prasko131 you mean players don't deserve it

[@DanielAstro44]

@Prasko131 oil fan...bruhh I think Mainstream media got into your skin 🤣🤣

[@lesgourlay6240]

Quote City and their 115 charges

[@waggingtailluna]

What in tarnation 😂

[@AtleticoCool94]

Girona bottle the second place

[@davididehen2505]

Atletico bottled top 3

[@samueltill6375]

Athletico bottle everything shut up 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Y-hf1ir]

Girona have more fans than man city so Girona deserve the spot

[@barryh.4220]

You can't really be daft enough to believe that, surely?

[@Y-hf1ir]

@@barryh.4220 Man shitty like oil clubs don't have proper fans instead some plastic fans since 2012

[@barryh.4220]

@@Y-hf1ir City have had great fans since long before you were even wetting your nappies, they held the English crowd record ffs!

[@Y-hf1ir]

@@barryh.4220 typical plastic man shitty plastic fan who is bothered about wetting nappies, except oil money and corruption your club is inferior to the nappies I wetted 😂

[@anonymous57411]

Barca are 2 points behind with a game in hand 😂

[@anbernicguy]

I still believe in Manchester United.

[@kylephaneuf9975]

Shaka’s takes are just 💩

[@TonyJaa-247]

ESPN talked about Barcelona more than they did about Girona

[@adamFromDurban]

Oh look Man City's owners involved in more irregularities. You just know Girona will win the league in a few years and get a top level manager and players 🤢🤢🤢 The external money and fraud is ruining football Read up about the signing of Dovbyk. It's only the start

[@zerus4435]

With Mbappé to Real i don't see Girona winning La Liga ever however they could be a consistent 2nd place team.

[@davididehen2505]

Cry

[@adamFromDurban]

@@davididehen2505 boring

[@adamFromDurban]

@@zerus4435 fair enough. However, we never saw city as a real player when the takeover happened

[@_A7X]

​@@adamFromDurban Girona didn't break 115 rules tho 😂

[@CursoryMercenary]

Just ban City...

[@marvinbrando722]

Dont worry. Girona will lose the next 3 games because of this

[@Mohamad-mi2ti]

Girona been slapping Barcelona silly home and away this season.... They earned it!

[@bianalkassem9986]

Kick city out

[@wladdenko5812]

ESPN like- let’s make a sensation of nothing!

[@FOOTBALL.CO.UK.]

SIMPLY SHOCKING.🤯.