Leeds United’s ownership group, 49ers Enterprises, has acquired a 51% stake in Scottish giants Rangers FC.
The links between the 49ers and Rangers got taken so seriously that even Leeds boss Daniel Farke was mooted for Rangers as a managerial option, but that certainly won’t be happening anytime soon.
There have been talks between Leeds United’s owners and the Glasgow outfit for a while, as Paraag Marathe sees Rangers as a ‘good investment’ alongside the 49ers’ project with the Whites.
The news has circulated for some time now, with fans thinking Marathe wants a multi-club model with Leeds and Rangers but there has been no suggestion that this will be the case in recent months or now that the process is finalised.
- READ MORE: How much Leeds United are now ‘expected’ to spend this summer as 49ers set for Archie Gray repeat
Football finance explains potential UEFA sanctions for Rangers and Leeds United
There is the possibility that the dual ownership could be an issue down the line for UEFA. We spoke to our football finance expert Adam Williams for his thoughts on the situation.
In a Leeds United News exclusive he said: “The mood music on dual ownership, multi-club ownership, or whatever you want to call it has changed somewhat in recent years.
“A while back, UEFA and FIFA were posturing like they were going to crack down on it. Then, Alexander Ceferin later came out and signalled they were going to be more lenient.
“Man United and Man City have both been allowed to play in the same competitions as their sister clubs this season. UEFA have said this was a temporary measure and was contingent on OGC Nice and City Football Group being placed in a blind trust.
“It will be very interesting to see what UEFA do with Crystal Palace and Lyon, both of whom are owned by John Textor and both of whom are due to play in the Europa League next season.
“In theory, Lyon would get in over Palace, but I just can’t seeing UEFA doing that. I could be wrong, but it would be a PR disaster for them.
“The direction UEFA go with this could be really important for Leeds and Rangers. If 49ers are as ambitious as they say they are, they want Leeds in Europe. Given their fanbase and commercial performance, there’s no reason they can’t do that.
“But then you are going to encounter problems with Rangers, who are going to be in one of the European competitions nine times out of 10. Currently, the UEFA rules stipulate that the club who finishes higher in their respective domestic league will qualify ahead of the other.
“Between Rangers and Leeds, that’s probably going to be Rangers given that they finish either first or, more often, second every season. That said, 49ers aren’t stupid. They must be confident of a solution here. They may well have a contact at UEFA who’s telling them ‘don’t worry about it, it will be fine’.”
Of course, this doesn’t impact Leeds unless they are a team qualifying for European competition alongside Rangers, but is something that could become an issue in the coming seasons for the two giants of British football.
Football finance expert explains PSR rules for Rangers and Leeds United following the 49ers takeover
Despite what has been said, Rangers and Leeds’ budgets could be split, showing there could be a slight impact on transfers and budgets. Williams gave further details on that, too.
He added: “In terms of transfers, I don’t think either club will necessarily be seen as the mothership. At the moment, the logical player development pathway would see developing players move from Leeds to Rangers on loan.
“If 49ers think Rangers fans will accept being a feeder club for Leeds at any point, they have another thing coming.
“It’s important to note that transfers between the two clubs do have to meet fair market value requirements just as commercial deals do, so it’s not going to be a get-out-of-jail-free card for either club with PSR.
“It can help you move some money around the group if either needs a hand with PSR. You can also pool certain costs and revenues, which can also be useful for PSR.”
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