Crystal Palace to wait longer as Europa League fate looms
What's the story
Crystal Palace's participation in the 2025-26 Europa League hangs in the balance as UEFA officials consider their eligibility.
The club's hierarchy recently met with UEFA representatives to discuss their potential involvement in the tournament.
However, as per a report in BBC, a decision on their participation is now expected by the end of June, rather than within a week as initially thought.
Here's more.
Ownership issues
Why UEFA is unsure about Crystal Palace's participation?
The complexity of Crystal Palace's ownership structure is at the heart of the UEFA decision.
Eagle Football, a multi-club group owned by John Textor, holds a majority stake in Ligue 1 club Lyon.
While Lyon have qualified for next season's Europa League, Crystal Palace's participation is pending UEFA's decision due to the ownership issue.
However, UEFA rules prohibit individuals from owning more than one club in the same competition to prevent conflicts of interest.
Control dispute
Crystal Palace's and Lyon's contention
Crystal Palace contend that Textor, who has been trying to sell his stake in the club, does not have decisive control over it.
The club qualified for the Europa League by beating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final.
Lyon qualified for the Conference League but was promoted to the Europa League after Paris Saint-Germain won the Coupe de France, having already qualified for Champions League.
Stake details
How Eagle Football is linked to Crystal Palace and Lyon
The BBC report adds that through Eagle Football, Textor owns around 45% of Crystal Palace and 90% of Lyon.
He was appointed a director at Palace after his initial £90 million investment in 2021.
In January 2022, he invested in Brazilian club Botafogo and Belgian side RWD Molenbeek through Eagle Football, which still holds controlling stakes in both clubs.
Textor became the owner of Lyon in June 2022.
Control attempts
Textor trying to gain overall control of Crystal Palace
Textor has attempted to buy a controlling stake in Palace, possibly wanting overall control of the club. However, he has also tried to buy Everton and find a buyer for his Palace shares.
Despite owning 45% of Palace through Eagle Football, the club is not part of the group's multi-club organization.
No players have been signed from these clubs except Jake O'Brien who moved to Lyon from their academy.
Proposal rejection
Proposal to place shares in blind trust rejected by UEFA
UEFA has rejected proposals from Crystal Palace shareholders John Textor and David Blitzer to place their shares in a blind trust for next season.
The move was aimed at ensuring the club's participation in Europe next season. However, the proposal was rejected as the club missed the deadline for registering the trust.
This has further complicated Palace's chances of competing in the Europa League.
Do you know?
Palace made this record by winning the FA Cup
By beating Man City, Palace won their first ever major trophy. As per Opta, they became the first English club to win their first major title since Wigan Athletic in the 2012-13 FA Cup, who also beat Manchester City in the final that year.