The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) prohibits two clubs with the same owner from playing in the same tournament. American billionaire John Textor reportedly owns both Crystal Palace and Lyon. Lyon qualified for the Europa League next season after finishing 6th in Ligue 1 last season, while Crystal Palace earned their spot by winning the FA Cup.
Since the end of last season, Textor has sought ways for both teams to participate in the Europa League. He sold Crystal Palace shares to billionaire Woody Johnson for 260 million USD. Johnson is now the largest individual shareholder of the Premier League club, while Textor only owns 25% of the team's shares.
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Crystal Palace lifts the FA Cup after defeating Man City 1-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 17/5/2025. Photo: Reuters |
Crystal Palace lifts the FA Cup after defeating Man City 1-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 17/5/2025. Photo: Reuters
Crystal Palace's hopes were briefly raised when Lyon was relegated to Ligue 2 over two weeks ago for violating French football financial regulations. At that time, many believed the seven-time French champions might also face UEFA sanctions. However, on 9/7, France allowed Lyon to remain in Ligue 1.
Two days later, UEFA announced that Lyon would be allowed to participate in the 2025-2026 Europa League, pushing Crystal Palace down to the Conference League, Europe's third-tier competition.
UEFA has not yet announced which team will replace Crystal Palace in the Europa League. But according to BBC Sport, Nottingham Forest will take the spot. Initially, Nottingham was only eligible for the Conference League due to their 7th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Crystal Palace fans have reason to be disappointed if they miss out on the Europa League. Last season, Man Utd and Tottenham played in the Europa League final, despite finishing 16th and 17th in the Premier League, respectively. Crystal Palace’s current manager, Oliver Glasner, also led Frankfurt to the Europa League title in 2022.
UEFA has stated that Crystal Palace has the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS has the capacity to handle cases quickly and could resolve this issue before the new season begins. However, last month, they upheld UEFA's decision to ban Irish club Drogheda United from the Conference League, also due to shared ownership issues.
Compiled by Hoang An
