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FA Cup Winners… But Banned from Europe? Crystal Palace Face UEFA Heartbreak
Crystal Palace at Risk of Losing Europa League Spot Due to UEFA Ownership Rules
Crystal Palace may be denied the chance to play in the Europa League next season, despite securing qualification by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City, due to UEFA regulations on club ownership.
According to Sky Sports, the issue stems from Palace’s shared ownership with French club Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League through their Ligue 1 finish.
UEFA rules prohibit two clubs with the same ownership group from participating in the same European competition.
John Textor, who holds a majority stake in Lyon, is also a significant shareholder at Crystal Palace. Since Lyon finished higher in their domestic league, they would be given priority in the Europa League, potentially forcing Palace out of the competition.
Palace to Challenge UEFA’s Ruling
Palace are reportedly preparing an appeal and remain hopeful they can still secure their Europa League spot. However, if the appeal fails, there could be a reshuffling of English clubs in Europe.
Nottingham Forest, who qualified for the UEFA Conference League, could be promoted to the Europa League in Palace’s place. That would, in turn, allow Brighton to take Forest’s spot in the Conference League.
A Harsh Blow for Palace and a Cautionary Tale for Multi-Club Ownership
Given their FA Cup triumph and strong finish to the season, many feel Palace have earned the right to compete in Europe. Losing that opportunity due to ownership technicalities would be a major setback.
This situation also highlights ongoing concerns about multi-club ownership models.
Similar conflicts have recently emerged involving INEOS, who own both Manchester United and Nice, and could soon become a factor with Chelsea and Strasbourg under shared ownership.
