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Palace could be relegated from Europe if Lyon win their appeal. |
Palace's Europa League place, secured by winning the FA Cup, is under threat from UEFA's multi-club ownership rules. John Textor, who owns 43% of Palace, also owns Lyon through his Eagle Football group.
Textor has now sold his Palace stake to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, but Lyon is still considered to be his. If Lyon successfully appeals to stay in Ligue 1, Palace could be relegated to the Conference League by UEFA for violating cross-ownership rules.
Palace's board are working with UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) to protect their interests. They insist Textor no longer has effective control over Palace and there is no connection between the two clubs. However, UEFA has not made a final decision as they await the outcome of Lyon's appeal.
The problem is that Textor failed to complete the divestment by the March 1 deadline as required. In a statement, UEFA said: "The CFCB Trial Chamber has decided to postpone its assessment of the multi-club ownership case involving Lyon and Crystal Palace. The postponement is related to Lyon's compliance with the CFCB agreement on financial sustainability. If Lyon is confirmed to be relegated to Ligue 2, they will be excluded from European competition for the 2025/26 season."
Financial troubles have seen Lyon - a seven-time Ligue 1 champion - relegated to Ligue 2, and Textor has also had to resign as club president. The American businessman said he wants to reduce his direct management responsibilities in Europe to focus on investing and developing other clubs such as Botafogo (Brazil), Daring Brussels (Belgium) and a new club in England after selling Palace.
If Lyon’s appeal fails and they are officially relegated, the French team will lose their place in next season’s European Cup. But if Lyon wins the case, Crystal Palace will become the “victim” and will most likely have to play in the Conference League instead of the Europa League as planned.
Source: https://znews.vn/quyet-dinh-chua-tung-co-cua-uefa-post1565002.html
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