CRYSTAL Palace’s worst Europa League fears have been confirmed after they were booted OUT of the competition by Uefa chiefs.
FA Cup winners Palace have paid the price for being in the same multi-club ownership group as French giants Lyon after the Uefa disengagement deadline of April 30.
GettyCrystal Palace have been booted out of the Europa League[/caption]
GETTYPalace initially earned their spot in the competition by winning the FA Cup[/caption]
Their fate was sealed on Wednesday, when Lyon won their appeal against relegation – for debts estimated at €175 million – from Ligue 1.
John Textor owned shares in both clubs and under Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules, clubs with the same ownership group cannot play in the same competition.
Uefa regulations state the team that finished highest in its domestic league takes priority, with Lyon finishing sixth and Palace tabling 12th in the Premier League.
On Friday, Uefa chiefs have demoted Palace to the Conference League – with Nottingham Forest set to be promoted in their place.
And it will cost Palace an immediate £3.9m in Uefa appearance money – boosting Forest by the same amount.
Palace are expected to appeal against the decision to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to get the ruling overturned.
In a statement, Uefa said its Club Financial Control Body confirmed the decision by French financial chiefs had cleared Lyon’s path to take up their place in the Europa League.
Uefa added: “Consequently, the CFCB pursued the assessment of the documentation submitted by Lyons and Crystal Palace and concluded that the clubs breached, as at 1 March 2025, the multi-club ownership criteria foreseen in Art 5.01 of the Uefa Club Competition Regulations.
AFPPalace have lost their place in the Europa League due to John Textor’s multi-club ownership[/caption]
GettyTextor also owns French club Lyon, who qualified for the Europa League by finishing sixth in Ligue 1[/caption]
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“For this reason the CFCB First Chamber decided: To accept Lyons’ admission to the 2025/26 Europa League.
“And to reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 Uefa Europa League and to accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 Uefa Conference League.”
Uefa confirmed Palace have the right to appeal to the Lausanne-based CAS, which has already agreed to fast-track proceedings ahead of the final qualifying round of all three Uefa competitions.
Palace’s joy at their Wembley triumph over Manchester City was swiftly tempered by the realisation of the complications over US businessman Textor’s Eagle Football Group owning 44.9 per cent of the Selhurst Park club.
Eagle also included Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 to qualify for the Europa League, Brazilians Botofogo and Belgian outfit Molenbeek.
While Textor was effectively ostracised from the decision-making process at Selhurst by chairman Steve Parish and US investors Josh Harris and Dave Blitzer, his stake meant Palace fell foul of Uefa rules.
Palace did not qualify for their first European campaign until their Wembley win on May 17, 17 days after the Uefa deadline for boardroom reorganisation that would have ensured no potential conflicts of interests between clubs in the same competition.
Parish and the Selhurst hierarchy have frantically lobbied for leeway, arguing that Textor was only a “significant” shareholder in terms of his stake, not his influence.
Palace chairman Steve Parish will argue that multi-club owner John Textor was removed from the decision-making process
Manchester United owners Ineos parked their shares in French side Nice in a blind trust to allow both to play in the Europa League last season.
And Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stepped back from any official role at the City Ground in April, to meet the Uefa requirements, when he hoped the East Midlanders would qualify for the Champions League alongside Greek side Olympiacos.
Last month, Textor announced he had sold his Palace shares to New York Jets owner and former US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson in a £190m deal, although that has still to be ratified by the Premier League.
But it was not enough for Uefa to budge, having huge ramifications for BOTH Prem clubs.
Unless their CAS appeal succeeds, Palace will have to play a two-legged qualifying round, with the first game on August 21.
If they go through, Palace’s up-front prize money for taking part in Uefa’s third competition will be £5.22m, with their maximum earnings £18.4m.
In contrast, in addition to going directly through to the initial eight-match league phase of the stage and earning £9.1m up front, Forest could earn a further maximum £24.4m.
The Premier League fixture list has now been plunged into chaos because of this, less than 48 hours after the August match dates were confirmed.
Uefa’s decision to relegate Palace will force Prem bosses to rip up their schedule for the third weekend of the season.
With Forest initially due to play their Conference League qualifying round first leg on Thursday August 21, their weekend game – ironically at Selhurst Park – had already been put back to Sunday, August 24.
But the impact of Uefa’s decision will be felt the next weekend.
Prem bosses announced on Wednesday that Palace’s game at Aston Villa would be played on Friday, August 29, with an 8pm kick-off.
With Palace – unless their appeal is successful – now playing the second leg of their qualifying round 24 hours before, the visit to Villa Park will have to be moved once again, to the Sunday afternoon.
With the September international break following the weekend action, there is no option to move any Prem matches to the Monday evening.
GettyNottingham Forest will replace Palace in the Europa League next season[/caption]
GettyPalace will compete in the Conference League instead[/caption]
