UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has admitted that a rule that prevents clubs owned by the same group facing each other in Europe will be 'rethought' as Newcastle United explore their options.
Newcastle are looking at the multi-club model but, also, another type of structure that would enable the Magpies to work with other sides without necessarily having to buy shares in the clubs themselves. Instead, Newcastle could team up with an investment firm such as 777 Partners, who already have stakes in clubs in Spain (Sevilla), Italy (Genoa), Germany (Hertha Berlin), Brazil (Vasco da Gama), France (Red Star) and Belgium (Standard Liege).
It must be stressed that Newcastle are in the very early stages of the process, but part-owner Amanda Staveley spoke earlier this month about the importance of finding the 'right fit' with the 'changes around GBE points'. This, of course, was a reference to the difficulties young players from abroad now face in securing work permits in the UK post-Brexit and having a trusted satellite elsewhere to enable players to get the required experience is an obvious advantage to the multi-club model.
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UEFA president Ceferin is aware this is a pressing issue, particularly with the potential conflict of interest in the offing in the race to buy Manchester United. As a result, the current rule that prevents sides owned by the same group meeting each other in UEFA club competitions on grounds of sporting integrity could now change.
"Those are the current rules which we have to re-think," Ceferin told the Overlap. "I think it has to be quick because everything has to be quick in football, but it wouldn't be correct if I had to speak about something that we didn't discuss much.
"We are not only thinking about Manchester United. We have five or six owners of clubs who want to buy another club so we have to see what to do.
"I don't say what we will do but we have to first speak within the house and bring it to the executive committee and see. The options are it stays like this or we allow them to play in the same competition. I'm not sure yet."
Although Newcastle, obviously, are not playing in Europe yet, that is the ambition of the club's owners and it could soon be realised with the team currently in fifth place in the table with a dozen games to go. The club's hierarchy will certainly be watching on with interest as UEFA consider their next move.
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