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Palace could be relegated from European competition if Lyon wins their case. |
Palace's Europa League qualification, secured through their FA Cup victory, is under threat from UEFA's multi-club ownership regulations. John Textor, who holds a 43% stake in Palace, also owns Lyon through his Eagle Football group.
Textor has now sold his stake in Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, but Lyon is still considered to be under his ownership. If Lyon's appeal is successful and they remain in Ligue 1, Palace could be relegated to the Conference League by UEFA for violating cross-ownership regulations.
Palace's management is working with UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) to protect their interests. They assert that Textor no longer has de facto control of Palace and that there is no longer any connection between the two clubs. However, UEFA has not yet made a final decision as it is awaiting the ruling on Lyon's appeal.
The problem is that Textor failed to complete the divestment before the March 1st deadline as stipulated. In its latest announcement, UEFA stated: “The CFCB Chamber of Deliberation has decided to postpone the assessment of the multi-club ownership case involving Lyon and Crystal Palace. This postponement relates to Lyon’s compliance with the CFCB agreement regarding violations of financial sustainability regulations. If Lyon is confirmed relegated from Ligue 2, they will be excluded from European competitions in the 2025/26 season.”
Financial troubles led to Lyon – a seven-time Ligue 1 champion – being relegated to Ligue 2, and Textor also had to resign as club president. The American businessman shared that he wanted to reduce his direct management responsibilities in Europe to focus on investing in 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 European competition next season. 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 originally planned.
Source: https://znews.vn/quyet-dinh-chua-tung-co-cua-uefa-post1565002.html
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