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Crystal Palace are set for a pivotal meeting with UEFA officials on Tuesday as the club seeks clearance to participate in European competition next season, the PA news agency understands.
The South London side earned a spot in the Europa League after a remarkable 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 17, marking the club’s first-ever major trophy and securing a coveted place on the continental stage.
However, their entry is under threat due to UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, which prohibit individuals from having significant control over more than one club involved in the same competition. Palace must present their case to UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) to prove compliance.
At the heart of the issue is John Textor, who owns 43 per cent of Crystal Palace via Eagle Football. Textor is also the majority shareholder at French club Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League after finishing sixth in Ligue 1.
According to UEFA regulations, any individual with substantial influence over two clubs in the same European competition must not hold decision-making power in both. The CFCB will assess whether Palace and Lyon's overlapping ownership structure breaches these guidelines.
The club, managed by Oliver Glasner, maintains that Textor does not exert operational control and that no direct ties exist between Palace and Lyon in terms of shared resources or personnel.
If UEFA rules against Palace, Lyon would retain their Europa League place due to their higher domestic finish. This could see Palace relegated to the Europa Conference League, but that route could also be blocked. Co-owner David Blitzer’s Danish club, Brondby, qualified for the Conference League after placing third in Denmark, creating another potential conflict.
This could lead to a reshuffle involving other Premier League teams. Should Palace be excluded, seventh-placed Nottingham Forest would be promoted to the Europa League, and Brighton, who finished eighth, would step into the Conference League slot.
A UEFA spokesperson said: “Please be informed that decisions regarding multi-club ownership cases for the 2025-26 season will be announced in due course during June. We do not comment on individual club cases until an official decision has been made.”
UEFA has dealt with similar scenarios before. Last summer, Manchester City and Girona—both owned by the City Football Group—were approved to play in the Champions League, while INEOS-owned Manchester United and Nice were both cleared to compete in the Europa League.
Now, Crystal Palace await UEFA’s verdict, hoping to keep their European dream alive after a historic season.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @cpfc
