Crystal Palace have been relegated from the UEFA Europa League to the UEFA Europa Conference League following a breach of multi-club ownership rules, Europe’s football governing body confirmed on Friday.
The decision stems from US businessman John Textor’s ownership interests in both Crystal Palace and French club Olympique Lyonnais. While Textor owns a significant stake in Palace, he is also the majority owner of Lyon — a situation that triggered UEFA’s strict rules aimed at preventing potential conflicts of interest when clubs under the same ownership qualify for European competitions.
Under the regulations, only one club from such a multi-owned group can participate in a single UEFA competition if both qualify. With Lyon finishing sixth in Ligue 1 and Palace placing 12th in the Premier League, UEFA ruled in favour of the French side, allowing them to retain their place in the Europa League.
Palace had qualified for European football for the first time in their history after lifting the FA Cup in May — their maiden major trophy. However, their historic achievement has been overshadowed by the ownership conflict.
Although Textor has reached an agreement to sell his 43 percent stake in Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, the deal was finalised after UEFA’s March 1 deadline for resolving ownership overlaps. As a result, the sale could not be factored into UEFA’s decision.
The verdict had been delayed due to a separate issue involving Lyon, who were initially demoted to France’s second division for financial irregularities. That ruling was overturned on Wednesday after Textor stepped back from the club’s daily operations.
In the wake of UEFA’s decision, Crystal Palace are expected to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to reverse the ruling.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest — who finished seventh in the Premier League last season — are set to take Palace’s spot in the Europa League, a UEFA source confirmed to AFP.
