Crystal Palace excluded from Europa League by UEFA | OneFootball

Crystal Palace excluded from Europa League by UEFA

Shockwaves have hit the European football scene. UEFA officially announced this Friday that Crystal Palace will not participate in the Europa League for the 2025/26 season.

In a statement released on its official website, the European governing body explained this decision was due to a breach of multi-club ownership regulations. A thorough investigation by the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) uncovered significant influence between Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais, both of whom had qualified for the same competition.

John Textor, owner of Eagle Football Holdings, holds 43% of Crystal Palace and 77% of Olympique Lyonnais. According to UEFA regulations, the same entity cannot exercise decisive influence over two clubs competing in the same European competition.

Although Textor attempted to regularize his situation by announcing the sale of his Palace shares to Woody Johnson (owner of the New York Jets) and resigning from his roles at Lyon, UEFA deemed these measures insufficient, especially as they were not completed before the March 1, 2025 deadline.

No Europa Conference League either?

And that's not all. Crystal Palace could also be excluded from the Europa Conference League due to another conflict of interest. David Blitzer, another shareholder in the London club, also owns shares in Brøndby IF, who have qualified for that competition.

As a result, the London club could find itself without European football next season—a massive blow to their recruitment strategy and their ability to keep key players like Eberechi Eze, Marc Guéhi, and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Nottingham and Brighton to benefit?

This decision has shaken up the landscape. Nottingham Forest, seventh in the Premier League, takes Crystal Palace's spot in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Brighton, who finished eighth, are expected to be handed a ticket to the Europa Conference League.

This situation has thrown the summer preparations of several clubs into disarray, while Crystal Palace now faces the prospect of a European campaign wiped out—despite a historic 2024/25 season. The big question remains: will the club’s management appeal this decision?