The saga concerning which European tournament Nottingham Forest will play in next season has taken another twist.
The Reds are still waiting for clarification on whether they will keep their place in the UEFA Conference League or be upgraded to the next level of competition. Their fate is tied to that of Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, who are at risk of falling foul of multi-club ownership rules.
The Eagles qualified for the Europa League when they lifted the FA Cup. But if they are deemed to have broken the regulations, they could be kicked out and replaced in the second tier European tournament by Forest.
Previous reports indicated Palace were optimistic about keeping their spot. However, it appears their hopes of remaining in Europe might have been dealt a blow.
Palace shareholder John Textor is also president of Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League after finishing sixth in Ligue 1. Textor is in the process of selling his shares in the south London side, but a decision is due to be made on whether they have complied with the rules.
In the meantime, earlier this week it was confirmed Lyon had been relegated to Ligue 2 amid financial difficulties. The French club immediately announced they would appeal the decision, and now they have posted an update on their situation.
In their latest statement, released on Friday evening, Lyon said: “Olympique Lyonnais completed the financial sustainability procedure and signed an agreement with the UEFA Club Financial Control Body. The club could therefore participate in next season's Europa League, subject to a favorable outcome of the appeal of the DNCG decision. OL would like to thank the UEFA representatives who assisted it in this process.”
Under the rules, no individual is permitted to have a significant say in the running of two clubs competing in the same UEFA competition. Lyon would take the Europa League spot because they finished higher in their domestic league than Palace - sixth to the Eagles’ 12th-placed finish.
A decision from UEFA on where Palace stand - and therefore what the outcome means for Forest - is expected soon. A verdict had been expected on Friday, but the BBC now claim the news should be forthcoming on Monday as that is when a meeting of UEFA chiefs will resume.
According to the Daily Mail, Palace ‘remain confident’ of their situation being resolved. They are said to be clear no facilities, players or resources are shared with Lyon.
Forest are understood to have written to UEFA asking for clarity after expressing concerns over Palace’s Europa League spot. At one stage last season, it looked as though the Reds and fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned side Olympiacos might both qualify for the Champions League. To avoid potentially being in the situation Palace are in, Marinakis placed his Forest shares in a blind trust so as not to fall foul of the regulations.
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