Crystal Palace are willing to do whatever it takes to convince UEFA they should be allowed to play in the Europa League next season. Palace are in danger of being removed from the competition by UEFA for breaking multi-club ownership rules.
US businessman John Textor owns shares in Palace and Ligue 1 side Lyon, with both clubs having qualified for the Europa League and that has put the Eagles place at risk. UEFAs rules ban clubs with the same ownership group playing in the same competition.
In cases where a conflict of interest arises, the club that finished lower in their domestic league lose their place. Palace finished 12th in the Premier League, while Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Crystal Palace news & transfers🦅Palace fixtures & scores | FREE Palace highlights▶️Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next seasonNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Palace executive chairman Steve Parish and Textor attended a meeting at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland on Tuesday to argue their case and defend the rights of both the Eagles and Lyon to play in next seasons Europa League.
Palace are believed to have put forward a compelling case outlining why they should be allowed to play in the Europa League for the first time. The club are understood to have argued that Textor personally owns less than 30 per cent of Palace and all decisions relating to Palace are made by Parish and his executive team rather than Textor.
As a minority shareholder, Textor has a say, but Palace insist their board structure means Parish has the influential vote, backed by his partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer. Palace have argued that they and Lyon missed the March 1 UEFA deadline to change their ownership structure because only a series of unforeseen circumstances has led to both of them qualifying for the Europa League.
Palaces FA Cup was the first major trophy in their history, while Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 after Strasbourg conceded a late equaliser on the final day of the season. Only after Paris Saint-Germain had won the French Cup did the European slot go to the team that finished sixth in the league.
Palace have told UEFA they are now prepared to take immediate steps to comply with their regulations to make sure they can play in the Europa League. Textor has also made it clear that he is seeking to sell his stake in Palace because they are an independent club who do not fit into his multi-club ownership business Eagle Football Holdings.
Any breach of UEFAs rules by shareholders, it is argued, has been a technical administrative error rather than intentional. Other clubs who are part of multi-club ownership groups have played in the same UEFA competition, including RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, and Manchester City and Girona in the Champions League last season.
Palaces Europa League future: Your questions answeredSky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol: Why are Palace in danger? US businessman John Textor owns shares in Crystal Palace, but he also owns shares in the French club Lyon.
Both clubs have qualified for the Europa League, and that has put Palaces place at risk. UEFAs rules ban clubs with the same ownership group from playing in the same competition. Why did Palace miss the March 1 deadline? On March 1, Crystal Palace did not think that they were going to win the FA Cup.
Remember, theyve never won a major trophy in their history. They didnt think they were going to win the FA Cup and qualify for the Europa League. Also, it looked very, very unlikely that Lyon would get into the Europa League.
Theyve only got in because of a series of unforeseen circumstances. They only finished sixth in the French top flight, I think on goal difference, on the final day of the season, because Strasbourg let in a last-minute equaliser.
Even then, finishing sixth didnt get you into the Europa League. They got into the Europa League because PSG won the French Cup and PSG, of course, were already in the Champions League, so then their slot, the Cup winners usually get into the Europa League.
That slot went to the team who finished sixth and that was Lyon. What arguments do Palace have in their favour? Everybody in football knows that Steve Parish, the Executive Chairman, basically runs Crystal Palace, backed by partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer.
So John Textor doesnt run Palace, first point. Palace have informed UEFA that John Textor personally owns around 30 per cent of the shares in Crystal Palace and also that Palace are not run by John Textor.
Second point, Palace earned their place in the Europa League by winning the FA Cup in thrilling fashion, beating Manchester City. They deserve their place and they are absolutely not part of a multi-club ownership group.
Palace are an independent South London club and they dont share any resources or staff with Lyon whatsoever. Why cant Lyon be thrown out instead? Article 5.02 of the Regulations of the Champions League, which underlines the integrity of the competition through multi-club ownership, dictates that if both clubs under the same ownership qualify for the same UEFA competition, whichever club finishes higher in their respective domestic league will be allowed to play in the competition.
Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 while Crystal Palace finished 12th in the Premier League. What happens if Palace are thrown out of the Europa League? I dont think Crystal Palace fans are going to take it lying down.
It would be an outrageous decision if they were thrown out of the Europa League. I think theyve earned the place. I think Palace players, Palace supporters have done absolutely nothing wrong. Okay, it was an administrative technical error, but are you telling me that if Real Madrid made a technical error, UEFA wouldnt sort it out? When other big clubs have made mistakes UEFA normally finds a way of sorting the problem out or making the problem go away.
I think it would have a really, really big impact on Crystal Palace. People are talking about all their great players, all their great players want to stay to play in Europe. Theyve got a fantastic manager, Oliver Glasner, whos won the Europa League before with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Palace have got a very good chance of winning the Europa League. Sky Sports to show 215 games in 2025/26 Watch more Premier League matches on Sky Sports ever before with 215 games live of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Sky Sports will broadcast a record minimum of 215 Premier League matches a season from 2025/26 after finalising a new four-year agreement for TV rights. From the 2025/26 season, Sky Sports exclusively live coverage will increase from 128 Premier League matches to at least 215 games.
