Crystal Palace may have to wait until the end of June to learn whether they can compete in the 2025–26 Europa League, amid ongoing scrutiny over multi-club ownership regulations, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Senior Palace executives travelled to Switzerland on Tuesday for discussions with UEFA officials over the club’s eligibility to participate in next season’s competition.
Under UEFA rules, individuals are prohibited from holding controlling stakes in more than one club competing in the same European competition to prevent potential conflicts of interest.
The issue centers on Eagle Football – the multi-club group owned by American businessman John Textor – which holds a minority share (around 45%) in Palace but also owns a majority stake in French side Lyon. Both clubs have qualified for next season’s Europa League.
Palace are reportedly arguing that Textor does not have “decisive influence” at Selhurst Park, particularly as he has repeatedly attempted to sell his stake in recent months.
They point to the fact that he is not in day-to-day control, with chairman and co-owner Steve Parish handling club operations.
UEFA typically gives preference to the club that qualified through a higher league finish. In this case, Lyon’s sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 puts them ahead of Palace, who finished 12th in the Premier League but earned their spot through an FA Cup win over Manchester City.
An initial decision on the matter had been expected within days, but sources now suggest a final ruling will not come before the end of June.
Background to the Dispute
John Textor first invested in Palace in 2021, putting in £90 million. While he owns 90% of Lyon, his stake in Palace remains under 50%, which the club argues keeps them outside the scope of Eagle Football’s multi-club structure.
Textor, who also owns Brazilian club Botafogo and Belgian side RWD Molenbeek through Eagle Football, became Lyon’s owner in 2022.
Despite holding a board position at Palace alongside Parish, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer, he has said in interviews that he does not run the club, merely sharing his input.
There have been no player transfers between Palace and other Eagle Football clubs—although Jake O’Brien, a former Palace academy player, did join Lyon after leaving the Eagles.
Textor had previously explored buying a majority stake in Palace but has more recently pursued a purchase of Everton and is also believed to be seeking a buyer for his Palace shares.
The situation echoes that of Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who recently placed his shares in a blind trust when Forest and Olympiakos faced a potential Champions League clash.
However, sources close to Eagle Football suggest this option isn’t viable for Palace, as the group lacks sufficient control to trigger UEFA’s ownership conflict rules in the same way.
Crystal Palace and UEFA have been approached for comment.
