Crystal Palace in urgent fight to prevent UEFA Europa League expulsion due to owner’s involvement
Crystal Palace are set for an emergency meeting with UEFA on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to avoid being barred from European competition.
After a historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City, the Eagles earned a Europa League berth for the 2025/26 season. But their continental ambitions may be dashed due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules — and rivals Brighton could end up taking their place.
American businessman John Textor owns roughly 43% of Palace, while also holding a majority stake in French club Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League. Under UEFA regulations, two clubs with overlapping ownership structures are prohibited from competing in the same European tournament.
Palace, confident in their case, had reportedly considered a fallback into the Conference League. However, that route could be blocked too — Danish club Brøndby, owned by Palace co-owner David Blitzer, are already in the Conference League play-off rounds. The rule gives preference to clubs finishing higher in their domestic leagues: Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1, Brøndby third in Denmark, while Palace ended 12th in the Premier League.
Sources say the pressure is now on Palace to present a viable solution at the UEFA summit in Switzerland. Similar ownership situations have recently triggered action from other Premier League sides, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest.
While Palace declined to comment publicly, they reportedly argue that there’s no operational link between them and Lyon. Textor only controls 25% of Palace’s voting rights, shared equally with chairman Steve Parish and partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer — meaning he cannot make unilateral decisions.
Still, it’s unclear if this distinction will be enough to convince UEFA. Textor has previously voiced frustration over his limited influence and even explored purchasing Everton in the past. A fast-track sale of his Palace shares is theoretically possible, though unlikely unless the valuation is favorable. An alternative might involve placing his shares in a blind trust.
Timing is tight. If Palace are ruled ineligible, Nottingham Forest would move up to the Europa League, and Brighton would inherit the Conference League spot.
The potential exclusion could deal a heavy blow to Palace’s finances, squad-building plans, and fanbase morale. The Europa League anthem was already played at Selhurst Park during their final home game of the season — a taste of Europe that might slip away.
A UEFA spokesperson commented: “Decisions regarding multi-club ownership 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.”