UEFA Enforces Multi-Club Ownership Ban Ahead of Women’s Champions League Final

UEFA women’s football director Nadine Kessler announced that clubs sharing an owner will be barred from competing together in the Women’s Champions League, invoking Article 5 which forbids any individual or entity from exercising “any power whatsoever” over more than one participating club. The rule will be applied without exception as the final between OL Lyonnes and Barcelona approaches in Oslo.

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Multi-club ownership is rising. Michele Kang controls OL Lyonnes, Washington Spirit and London City Lionesses. Crux Sports, founded by former New Zealand captain Bex Smith, owns FC Rosengård and Montpellier. Mercury13 runs Como Women, Badalona Women and Bristol City. UEFA previously applied the same principle in the men’s game, demoting Crystal Palace after co-owner John Textor held stakes in two qualifying clubs.

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OL Lyonnes have eight Champions League titles. London City Lionesses finished sixth in the 2025-26 WSL, 22 points off third place. Rosengård have six quarter-final appearances since 2012; Montpellier were quarter-finalists in 2018 and semi-finalists in 2006. Mercury13’s clubs compete in Italy, Spain and England’s top divisions.

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Kessler stressed UEFA’s “100 % fair” competition mandate, warning that any perceived breach of integrity would be unacceptable. She said the rule will be “closely monitored” and applied to future editions, with no special accommodations for multi-club owners.

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Club owners have signaled a desire to retain investment while complying with the rule. London City Lionesses have explored “potential solutions” that would let them qualify for the Champions League if they earn a spot, even as OL Lyonnes remain in the competition. This reflects a tension between UEFA’s zero-tolerance stance and owners’ efforts to preserve multi-club investment models.

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UEFA’s regulations explicitly forbid dual participation, yet owners’ discussions of work-arounds reveal uncertainty about enforcement if multiple clubs owned by the same entity qualify. No detailed guidance on permissible arrangements has been published, leaving a gap between policy and practical implementation.

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• “There is an evolution of multi-club owners in women’s football and they invest a lot into the game, which is important,” — Nadine Kessler, UEFA women’s football director

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• “Why would we want to preserve the sporting integrity of men's football, but not of women's football? It's out of the question. In any sport you want to preserve sporting integrity, that's the most important thing,” — Nadine Kessler

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• “We have to make sure that everything is 100% fair and that there is not even a perceived breach of integrity when it comes to our competitions.” — Nadine Kessler

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• “It is being closely monitored and will be also implemented going forward. We all want more investment into the game,” — Nadine Kessler

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The upcoming final in Oslo will be the first test of the reinforced rule. UEFA has pledged ongoing monitoring of multi-club cases and intends to enforce the ban in subsequent seasons. Stakeholders anticipate further dialogue on reconciling investment-driven ownership models with competition integrity.

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