UEFA has sent Crystal Palace to the Conference League due to its rules on multi-club ownership.
Palace qualified for the Europa League with their upset win over Manchester City in the FA Cup, but part-owner John Textor also owns shares in fellow Europa League qualifier Olympique Lyon of France.
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UEFA rules say two clubs with the same owners cannot be entered in the same competition.
Textor has since sold his shares in Palace, while Lyon has kept its status in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League. Some reports have speculated that Nottingham Forest could be awarded Palace’s Europa League place based on UEFA rules.
The South London club are ‘extremely dismayed’ by the decision. and working through several options including the possibility of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Eagles have issued a strong statement on the matter.
“I’m devastated for the players, for the fans, for the staff,” said Palace chairman Steve Parish. “I think it’s a bad day for football. I think most football fans, right-minded football fans, will see what a terrible injustice this is for the football club.
“It’s one that I dearly hope somebody can remedy, because I do believe that nobody in football wants to see this. Nobody in football, and I don’t think UEFA, want to see this – clubs that rightfully qualify for a competition being locked out of that competition, on the most ridiculous technicality that you can imagine.”
UEFA’s full statement on Crystal Palace in the Conference League
(from UEFA.com)
The CFCB First Chamber had opened proceedings against Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais due to a potential conflict with the multi-club ownership rule provided for in Article 5 of the UEFA Club Competitions Regulations.
On 9 July 2025, the appeal instance of the French financial control authority (DNCG) decided not to relegate Olympique Lyonnais to Ligue 2. Consequently, and following an assessment by the CFCB of all the other relevant conditions included in the settlement agreement, Olympique Lyonnais will not be excluded from the 2025/26 UEFA club competitions (see media release of 30 June 2025).
Consequently, the CFCB First Chamber pursued the assessment of the documentation submitted by Olympique Lyonnais and Crystal Palace and concluded that the clubs breached, as at 1 March 2025, the multi-club ownership criteria foreseen in Art 5.01 of the UEFA Club Competition Regulations.
For this reason, and in accordance with the provisions set in Art. 5.02, 5.03 and 5.04 of the UEFA Club Competitions Regulations, the CFCB First Chamber decided:
• To accept Olympique Lyonnais’ admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League; and
• To reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League and to accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League.
The present decision may be appealed against before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in accordance with Articles 62 and 63 of the UEFA Statutes.
