Crystal Palace have been bumped from the UEFA Europa League to the UEFA Europa Conference League for the upcoming season, following a ruling by UEFA on multi-club ownership violations.
The decision, confirmed on Friday, centers around American investor John Textor, who holds significant stakes in both Crystal Palace and French club Olympique Lyonnais. With both teams having secured spots in the Europa League, UEFA stepped in, citing its strict policy against clubs with overlapping ownership competing in the same European tournament.
Textor’s Eagle Football group controls 77% of Lyon and 43% of Palace. Despite Palace’s claim that he doesn’t hold controlling influence over their operations, UEFA ruled otherwise.
“These rules exist to protect the fairness and integrity of our competitions,” UEFA stated. “Clubs cannot be directly or indirectly involved in the management or sporting decisions of another club in the same competition.”
Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1, will now compete in the Europa League, while Palace—who earned European qualification through their FA Cup win—have been reassigned to the Conference League. The club has expressed its intention to appeal the decision and is reportedly preparing a case for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The shake-up could open the door for Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, to step into a Europa League slot—depending on how the appeal plays out.
