Crystal Palace has been relegated from the Europa League to the Conference League following a UEFA ruling that the club breached the governing body’s multi-club ownership regulations. The decision was confirmed on Friday, highlighting the complexities of ownership in European football.
The controversy centers on US businessman John Textor, who holds a stake in Crystal Palace while simultaneously being the majority owner of French club Lyon. Both clubs qualified for the Europa League, but UEFA rules prohibit such dual ownership in the same competition.
UEFA allowed Lyon to retain their Europa League spot as they finished sixth in Ligue 1, a higher league position than Palace’s 12th place in the Premier League last season. Palace earned their first-ever major trophy by winning the FA Cup in May, which secured their European qualification.
Textor has agreed to sell his 43 percent share in Crystal Palace to Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets. However, this transaction remains incomplete and was finalized after UEFA’s March 1 deadline for resolving multi-club conflicts.
A UEFA source disclosed that Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League and initially qualified for the Conference League, will take Palace’s place in the Europa League.
The club is expected to appeal the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The decision had been delayed due to Lyon’s financial issues and initial relegation, which was overturned after Textor stepped back from daily operations at Lyon.
Okay.ng reports that this development underscores the challenges of multi-club ownership in European competitions and the strict enforcement of UEFA regulations.
