Palace's Europe Place in doubt
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:15 pm
Doesn't sound great for them this. @Deano Blue Boy mentioned this in another thread. Hope the Friedkins have a bit more foresight...
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... trust-move
Uefa has rejected offers from the Crystal Palace shareholders John Textor and David Blitzer to put their shares in a blind trust to ensure the club can compete in Europe next season.
Palace’s participation in the Europa League has been cast into doubt as the club’s largest shareholder, Textor, is also the majority owner of Lyon, who have also qualified for the second-tier competition. And to compound matters, Blitzer’s Danish club Brøndby have qualified for the Conference League, so the prospect of the FA Cup winners dropping into that competition is also not an option due to the European governing body’s multi-club ownership rules.
Palace executives, including Textor and the chairman, Steve Parish, met Uefa officials in Nyon on Tuesday to try to broker a solution without reaching agreement. The Guardian has learned that the so-called blind trust option in which Textor’s Palace shares would be placed in the hands of trustees next season was rejected by Uefa, as the club missed the deadline for registering the trust.
In the event of Palace being barred from the Europa League, Forest could be promoted to take their place after qualifying for the Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League. Palace’s rivals Brighton, who finished eighth, could then replace Forest in the Conference League.
Palace’s European position is under threat rather than Lyon’s, as Uefa rules state that the club ranked highest in their domestic championship will be given entry to the competition. Lyon’s sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 gives them precedence over Palace, who came 12th in the Premier League.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... trust-move
Uefa has rejected offers from the Crystal Palace shareholders John Textor and David Blitzer to put their shares in a blind trust to ensure the club can compete in Europe next season.
Palace’s participation in the Europa League has been cast into doubt as the club’s largest shareholder, Textor, is also the majority owner of Lyon, who have also qualified for the second-tier competition. And to compound matters, Blitzer’s Danish club Brøndby have qualified for the Conference League, so the prospect of the FA Cup winners dropping into that competition is also not an option due to the European governing body’s multi-club ownership rules.
Palace executives, including Textor and the chairman, Steve Parish, met Uefa officials in Nyon on Tuesday to try to broker a solution without reaching agreement. The Guardian has learned that the so-called blind trust option in which Textor’s Palace shares would be placed in the hands of trustees next season was rejected by Uefa, as the club missed the deadline for registering the trust.
In the event of Palace being barred from the Europa League, Forest could be promoted to take their place after qualifying for the Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League. Palace’s rivals Brighton, who finished eighth, could then replace Forest in the Conference League.
Palace’s European position is under threat rather than Lyon’s, as Uefa rules state that the club ranked highest in their domestic championship will be given entry to the competition. Lyon’s sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 gives them precedence over Palace, who came 12th in the Premier League.
