Crystal Palace ended the 2024 season in jubilation by unexpectedly defeating Man City in the FA Cup final, thereby winning a ticket to the Europa League. However, their European dream is in danger of being shattered due to legal issues related to the club's owner.
American businessman John Textor currently owns 43% of Crystal Palace. He is also the controlling shareholder of Olympique Lyon, a French club that has also qualified for next season’s Europa League. Under UEFA regulations, an individual cannot have direct or indirect influence on two clubs competing in European competitions, to avoid conflicts of interest.
Crystal Palace win major title after 119 years
Earlier this week, Crystal Palace representatives visited UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, to present legal documents to defend their right to participate in the tournament. Although no official decision has been made, Crystal Palace still understands that they are clinging to the "gray areas" in the regulations - factors that have "saved" many other teams from punishment.
Hope for precedent
Palace is not the first English club to be involved in a multi-ownership dispute. The most recent case is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the British billionaire who owns Manchester United and Nice (France) through the INEOS group.
When Man United qualified for the Champions League, Ratcliffe transferred control of Nice to a "blind trust", in which important decisions about the team were made by an independent third party.
UEFA later accepted that Sir Jim Ratcliffe no longer had direct influence over two clubs at the same time, and Man United were allowed to participate in European competitions as a result.
Manager Evangelos Marinakis does everything he can to "protect" Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos
Similarly, Evangelos Marinakis – owner of Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos – also made a similar move two months ago to avoid conflict if both teams were in the Champions League.
Previously, Girona – Man City's "sister" club – replaced the entire board of directors with independent lawyers, helping both teams gain UEFA approval to participate in the Champions League.
These cases show that UEFA regulations, although always very strict, can still be "circumvented" if teams act promptly and properly.
Palace was a beat behind.
The problem with Crystal Palace is that they don’t seem to have acted as quickly and decisively as the aforementioned teams. It wasn’t until they won the FA Cup and saw the danger that they were in that they rushed to file a case with UEFA. This makes any changes to the club’s leadership structure likely to be seen as “lacking transparency” or as a mere formality or a response.
Crystal Palace Club Chairman Steve Parish has a headache with the fate of the team.
However, the south London club could still argue that John Textor does not directly run the club. Indeed, sources have said he was frustrated by his limited say at Palace – which could be used as evidence to deny direct influence.
UEFA may take some time to assess. But the question is: if big clubs have "escaped" with similar legal solutions, will Palace be punished?
The Fair Play Story of European Football
Palace’s case will be a test for UEFA, given the growing trend of multi-club ownership across Europe. If the organisation has been flexible with big names, excluding Palace – a smaller club – will be controversial.
Billionaire John Textor (left) is a major shareholder in Lyon and co-owner of Crystal Palace, billionaire David Blitzer, is also the owner of Brondby Club.
Whatever the outcome, Palace’s achievement this season is remarkable. They have beaten a giant like Man City to win their first major trophy – a victory that is symbolic, not just for the club but for the unexpected qualities of football.
These three teams have a special relationship.
If Palace are ultimately stripped of the Europa League, it will be understandable to feel regretful. But it will also be a valuable lesson not just for them but for every club entering the multi-team game, where the rules can be far from black and white, but full of “grey areas”.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/vo-dich-fa-cup-crystal-palace-van-co-nguy-co-khong-duoc-du-europa-league-196250603070936593.htm
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