Nottingham Forest has reached out to UEFA for clarification regarding their concerns about Crystal Palace’s qualification for the Europa League. This follows Palace’s historic achievement of winning the FA Cup, which secured their first-ever entry into European competition. However, the UEFA ruling could hinge on potential violations of its multi-club ownership policies.
The focus is on John Textor, the American businessman who owns Eagle Football, which holds a 43% stake in Crystal Palace. Textor’s investment entity also owns 77% of French club Lyon, which has also qualified for next season’s Europa League. According to UEFA’s regulations, no individual or legal entity is allowed to hold a majority of shareholder voting rights at more than one club participating in the same European tournament.
If UEFA determines that both Palace and Lyon are in breach of these rules, Lyon, which finished sixth in Ligue 1, would take precedence over Palace, who ended the Premier League season in 12th place. Nottingham Forest, having secured a Europa Conference League play-off spot by finishing seventh, could potentially move up to the Europa League if Palace is deemed ineligible.
Sources indicate that Nottingham Forest has formally expressed their reservations to UEFA regarding this situation. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, contends that their FA Cup win was achieved independently and asserts that it operates distinctly from a multi-club ownership model. They emphasize that there have been no shared personnel, coaching exchanges, or collaborative efforts with Lyon.
Nottingham Forest has navigated these ownership complexities, as their owner, Evangelos Marinakis, took steps to lessen his control over the club, ensuring compliance with UEFA’s regulations. These regulations were updated, providing a new deadline of March 1 for clubs to disclose any potential ownership structure conflicts, making the process more manageable.
The first rounds of qualification for both the Europa League and Conference League are set to start in July, adding urgency to the resolution of this matter.
In light of these developments, Crystal Palace remains adamant about their position and the legitimacy of their qualification. As the situation unfolds, both clubs and their supporters will be keenly awaiting UEFA’s ruling, which may have substantial implications for European football participation.