Crystal Palace crisis: Europa League exclusion!

Crystal Palace crisis: Europa League exclusion!

Crystal Palace has qualified for a European competition for the first time after a historic FA-Cup victory over Manchester City. However, this success harbors a problem: the club is faced with the possibility of exclusion from the UEFA Europa League. The reason for this threat lies in the co -ownership of John Textor, who also holds majority shares at the French club Olympique Lyon. As laola1.at Investors stand.

Textor, which also has a 43%participation in Crystal Palace, tries to sell its shares and emphasized that he has no decisive influence on the club. Nevertheless, the situation is tense for Crystal Palace, as a solution has to be found by June 17 to ensure participation in the Europa League. If participation is not possible, Nottingham Forest, which ended up in the Premier League in seventh place, could take over the space in the Europa League, while Brighton Hove & Albion, which took eighth place, could relegate to the Conference League.

The challenges for Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace plans to make an appeal to the UEFA in order to be able to participate in the Europa League. The team, which won the FA Cup in May, automatically qualified for the competition. Eberechi Eze scored the decisive goal in the final against Manchester City. The general partners of Palace, including Steve Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, will meet with representatives of UEFA to clarify the situation. Textor controls Eagle Football, which has 88% of Lyon, which continues to complicate the situation.

The UEFA has treated similar cases in the past and made exceptions, such as for Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig as well as Girona and Manchester City. On March 1, 2025, the deadline for the message of such multi-club ownership had expired, which further weakens the position of Crystal Palace. Lyon was nevertheless classified in the Europa League after taking sixth place in Ligue 1, since Paris Saint-Germain has risen to the Champions League.

context for multiple ownership control

The UEFA regulations that prohibit a simultaneous influence of owners on several clubs in the same competitions apply strictly. In July 2023, the association decided that several clubs with common majority owners are not allowed to take part in the same European tournaments. Approval were granted, for example, for AC Milan and FC Toulouse, both of which are controlled by Redbird Capital. Brighton Hove & Albion, which ultimately belonged to Tony Bloom, also fell under these regulations.

The increasing takeover of several clubs by investors has triggered concern with many critics, such as Ronan Evain from Football Supporters Europe. Critics warn of manipulation hazards and a distortion of market in European football, which in turn could endanger the competitive basis. Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin emphasized that a discussion about the regulations is necessary to protect the integrity of the competition.

While Crystal Palace continues to fight for his future in the Europa League, it remains to be seen how UEFA will react to the arguments and the complicated situation around John Textor. The next steps could be decisive for the club and the entire European football community.