Crystal Palace take drastic action to avoid being banned from Europe after emergency meeting with UEFA
Crystal Palace Co-Owner John Textor Plans Major Move to Secure Club’s Europa League Participation
Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor is preparing to make a significant and potentially club-altering decision in an effort to ensure the South London outfit can participate in the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League. This bold move comes amid rising concerns that Palace could be barred from the competition due to a potential breach of UEFA’s strict multi-club ownership regulations.
Palace secured their place in next season’s Europa League thanks to their memorable FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City in May — a historic victory that not only brought silverware to Selhurst Park but also promised a return to European competition. However, that achievement is now at risk of being overshadowed by ownership complications involving Textor and his global football empire.
According to a report from the Daily Mail on Monday (June 2), Crystal Palace were scheduled to hold an “emergency summit” with UEFA officials on Tuesday to urgently address the ownership issues that could prevent the club from competing in Europe next season. At the heart of the matter is Textor’s substantial stake in Crystal Palace — estimated at around 43% — and his controlling interests in several other clubs across Europe.
Textor is the majority owner of French Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais through his holding company, Eagle Football Holdings. This, combined with his significant ownership of Palace, has triggered UEFA’s scrutiny, as the governing body enforces stringent rules to preserve the integrity and fairness of its competitions.
Under UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations, no individual or legal entity is permitted to have any direct or indirect influence or control over more than one club participating in any of UEFA’s major club tournaments — namely the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League, or the Conference League. These rules are designed to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure sporting merit remains the sole determinant of success in continental football.
The regulations stipulate that influence can take many forms, including holding a majority of voting rights, having the authority to appoint or dismiss board members, or controlling a majority stake through agreements with other shareholders. As such, Textor’s simultaneous involvement with both Palace and Lyon, along with his interest in other clubs such as Brazil’s Botafogo and Belgium’s RWD Molenbeek, has put Palace’s European eligibility in jeopardy.
To complicate matters further, Palace could also find themselves barred from the UEFA Conference League as an alternative, since fellow Palace investor David Blitzer is reportedly the majority shareholder of Danish club Brøndby IF — a side that is also set to compete in the third-tier European competition. This overlap of ownership would violate the same UEFA rules, creating a complex and tangled web of interests that UEFA must now untangle.
Should UEFA rule against Palace, there could be major implications for the Premier League’s European representation. In that scenario, Nottingham Forest could be elevated to the Europa League, while Brighton & Hove Albion might be handed a spot in the Conference League, taking advantage of Palace’s forced exclusion.
However, in a decisive effort to prevent this outcome, John Textor confirmed on Tuesday (June 3) that he is actively seeking to divest his 43% stake in Crystal Palace. Following the hearing in Switzerland, Textor spoke to the Mail and gave a candid update on his position.
“Look, all of the UK knows that I don’t have decisive influence over Palace,” Textor said. “It was a good meeting. They listened, and we’ll see what happens. I wouldn’t be trying to sell [this stake] if I did.”
He continued, “We are trying to help separate it and sell. We wanted to buy, but it’s become clear that isn’t going to happen, and so we’re trying to help Palace and the situation with UEFA. That’s about all I can say.”
His remarks suggest that although he initially had ambitions to take a larger role at Palace, he is now prioritizing the club’s eligibility for European competition over his personal interests. UEFA’s legal experts are now expected to review the details of Palace’s case before making a final decision.
Time is of the essence, as the draw for the qualifying rounds of the Europa Conference League is scheduled for June 17, giving UEFA just a narrow window to determine whether Palace can compete and under what ownership structure.
John Textor’s football empire also includes majority control of clubs in Brazil and Belgium, making him one of the most prominent multi-club owners in world football. His decision to part ways with Palace could mark a turning point in how such ownership models are scrutinized — and adjusted — in the face of UEFA’s evolving regulatory framework.
For now, the future of Crystal Palace’s European adventure hangs in the balance, with the next two weeks proving crucial in determining whether their FA Cup glory will translate into a return to the continental stage — or end in heartbreak.
Let me know if you’d like to tailor this for a specific platform, such as a blog post or club fan site.