Paraag Marathe is back on the Rangers board, with his return coming in the wake of him walking away from the San Francisco 49ers to focus on the 49ers investment in Leeds United and the Ibrox club.
The 48-year-old, who chairs Leeds United and served as Andrew Cavenagh’s deputy at Ibrox after 49ers Enterprises’ takeover, had stepped down as a Rangers director earlier this year to avoid any clash with UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. With Leeds still in the FA Cup and chasing a Europa League spot, the club took the safe route and Marathe temporarily left the board.
But once Leeds fell at the semi-final stage and missed out on European qualification, the conflict of interest was no longer an issue. Now, with Marathe also exiting his long-time NFL role to focus on 49ers Enterprises’ soccer projects, he and fellow director Gene Schneur have been reinstated at Rangers.
The initial move was reportedly strictly about staying on the right side of UEFA regulations, and that the Ibrox hierarchy will continue to operate within those rules. Had Leeds qualified for Europe’s second-tier competition, Rangers could have faced sanctions - a fate Crystal Palace suffered last term when their multi-club ties led to a demotion to the Conference League.