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Manchester United have confirmed that club director Jean-Claude Blanc has been appointed to the boards of the European Club Association (ECA) and UEFA’s Club Competition (UCC) Board of Administration.
Blanc joined United following the completion of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 27.7% partial investment into the club in February.
He served as the Red Devils’ interim CEO before the official arrival of Omar Berrada from Manchester City. While Blanc was CEO, Berrada was on gardening leave.
Blanc’s links to Ratcliffe stem from the fact he is an employee of INEOS, overseeing the company’s entire sports portfolio including OGC Nice and Lausanne-Sport.
His involvement also spreads to cycling and Formula 1, with INEOS a major sponsor of the Mercedes team.
United point out in their statement that Blanc’s appointments to the boards of the European Club Association (ECA) and UEFA’s Club Competition (UCC) Board of Administration were confirmed at an ECA Board meeting that took place in Dublin on Wednesday.
Reacting to this, the former Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain chief said, “It is an honour to join these important boards and contribute to the effective governance of European club football and its competitions.”
“These appointments demonstrate our commitment to playing a positive role within both UEFA and the ECA and further strengthen the relationships Manchester United enjoys across the European game.”
The UCC is a subsidiary of UEFA, with half of the board members appointed by UEFA. The other half is appointed by the ECA.
UCC’s responsibilities include making recommendations to the UEFA Club Competitions Committee on strategic matters for its consideration.
These recommendations are then referred up to the UEFA Executive Committee for approval.
The ECA is officially recognised by UEFA and FIFA as the sole, independent body for football clubs at the European level and boasts a membership of over 650 professional clubs.
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