Sir Jim Ratcliffe would like to throw away one of the football clubs that he owns, but failed an automatic place in the Champions League competition phase next year can make those plans more difficult
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans to sell Nice had a blow after the French side had missed the automatic qualification for the competition phase of the Champions League. Ratcliffe bought back for 2019 for about £ 85 million through his company Ineos in the summer for 2019.
However, he has endured a rocky time at the Allianz Riviera, with the regime deeply unpopular among supporters. Ratcliffe has increasingly removed his focus from Nice and on Manchester United.
Despite that lack of attention, Nice enjoyed their most successful season, but since Ratcliffe took over. After losing Manager Francesco Farioli last summer to Ajax after a fifth place finish, Franck Haise was appointed in his place.
With one game to play, Haise has secured anything but European football in front of his side. They are currently in fourth place, but his level at points with both Lille in the fifth and the Strasbourg in the sixth.
Due to the decreasing status of Ligue 1 in European football, only the top three in Ligue 1 automatically qualifies for the competition phase of the Champions League. With one more game, Nice cannot catch the third place of Monaco, who is four points for them.
Les Aiglons must beat Brest on the last day to secure their fourth place. But they will then be confronted with the heavy test of the qualifying rounds, in which the fourth place team of Ligue 1 arrives in the third phase.
That would mean a play-off of two legs for Nice in early August, for a final play-off round at the end of that month. The opportunities of Nice to finish in the top three were sent away on Saturday by a bad defeat on mid-table Rennes.
Two goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo took care of the three points for the hosts. He turned for the first time in a cross of Ludovic Blas after 15 minutes, before breaking through to end Marcin Bulka.
Missing automatic qualification is a serious blow to the hope of Ratcliffe to sell the team. Last week it was revealed that the billionaire was looking to continue from the south of France.
He has engaged the New York Investment Bank Lazard to find a buyer, hoping to bring in £ 213 million. A 'blind trust' has been fun this season, with neither Ineos nor Ratcliffe 'control or decisive influence' at the club.
That was due to the UEFA rules around multi-club activities, since both United and Nice qualified for the Europa League. Introducing such a large fee has already been complicated by the crisis of the TV rights in French football.
And the potential lack of Champions League money that comes in is an extra blow. Ratcliffe has already made it clear that he has little interest in Nice, now he has taken over from United.
“With Nice, in the French league, you can buy a club for £ 100 million. It is much cheaper access. But I don't really enjoy watching Nice because there are some good players, but the football level is not high enough to become enthusiastic,” he said The Times.
“The best season that Nice has had, this is what we should not be allowed with because of rules with multiple club ownership. They have been so much better without our interference! Maybe there is also a lesson, you know.”