- Crystal Palace may be expelled from European competitions due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules
- Club co-owner John Textor also controls Lyon, who qualified for the Europa League
- Palace will meet UEFA officials in Switzerland in a last-ditch effort to find a solution
Key Takeaways:
Crystal Palace executives will hold an emergency meeting with UEFA representatives today in a desperate effort to avoid being thrown out of European competitions.
The club earned a historic place in the Europa League after their FA Cup final win over Manchester City, but now face the risk of being excluded due to UEFA regulations preventing clubs with shared ownership from entering the same tournament. This situation could open the door for rivals Brighton to take their spot.
🚨 Crystal Palace will head for an emergency summit with UEFA on Tuesday in a desperate bid to avoid being kicked out of Europe.@MikeKeegan_DM pic.twitter.com/VYaufoeOpk
— Palace Report (@PalaceReport) June 2, 2025
American businessman John Textor owns around 43% of Crystal Palace but is also the majority shareholder of French side Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League. UEFA rules forbid two clubs with the same ownership structure from competing in the same European tournament.
One possible alternative for Palace would be a place in the Conference League. However, that too could be blocked, as Danish club Brondby — owned by Palace co-owner David Blitzer — is in contention for that slot.
UEFA guidelines state that when two or more clubs are under the same ownership, preference is given to the club that finished higher in their domestic league. Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1, Brondby ended the season third in Denmark, while Crystal Palace were 12th in the Premier League.
According to Mail Sport, Palace must present an acceptable solution at the meeting in Switzerland to preserve their place in European competition.