'Own multiple clubs' - Union SG president reveals talks with Brighton chairman Tony Bloom amid Europa League rule confusion

Both teams, who are owned by Tony Bloom, will compete in the 2023-24 edition of the tournament after excellent performances in their respective leagues.

The Seagulls will make their debut appearance in the UEFA Europa League group stage – and in European competition – after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

Union, meanwhile, will enter the tournament at the play-off round after ending the Jupiler Pro League campaign in third.

UEFA rules state that clubs cannot hold shares or have management control in another club taking part in a UEFA competition, nor can individuals and legal entities have ownership or management control over more than one club.

One such issue arose when RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg both qualified for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League.

Austrian drinks company Red Bull owned both teams up until a 2017 UEFA investigation, which looked into the ‘unusually high level of player loans/transfers’ and the ‘common visual identity/similar branding’ between the two clubs.

The investigation saw Salzburg remove staff members that were allegedly linked to Red Bull. The perennial Austrian champions also ended their cooperation deal with Leipzig.

UEFA found ‘insufficient evidence’ that both sides had shared ownership following Salzburg’s restructure, and both clubs were allowed to enter Europe’s premier tournament.

Muzio has made it clear there will be no such issue if Union Saint-Gilloise and the Seagulls meet in next season’s UEFA Europa League.

Brighton chairman Bloom became the majority owner of Union SG in 2018, but it is believed the 53-year-old has no day-to-day involvement at the Belgian outfit which is run independently to Albion.

Speaking to Belgian outlet Sporza in March, Muzio said: “Before Tony and I invested in this club, we looked into that, looked at all the UEFA rules.

“We also talked to them then and in our opinion there is no problem. It’s just that UEFA only shoots into action when it’s effectively there.

“Otherwise they have to do that for maybe 50 clubs, because there are more investors who own multiple clubs.”