Stefan Borson
Sun 25 May 2025 12:31, UK
Crystal Palace are facing uncertainty over whether or not they will be able to compete in the Europa League next season.
The south London club qualified for the competition following their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last weekend.
However, an issue has emerged over co-owner John Textor’s ownership of Lyon.
The Ligue 1 club have now also qualified for the Europa League after PSG beat Reims in the French Cup final on Saturday (24 May).
Uefa’s rules prohibit clubs from being controlled by the same owners or directors from competing in the same European competition.
Finance expert Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Textor’s corporate activity plans could cause an issue if he decides to put either club into a blind trust.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES
It emerged earlier this month Textor is attempting an audacious takeover of Palace after holding talks with fellow co-owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris about purchasing their shares.
The American billionaire, who holds a 45 per cent share at Selhurst Park, also owns majority stakes in Brazilian first division outfit Botafogo and Belgian side RWD Molenbeek alongside Lyon.
Watford
(Credit: Getty Images)
Crystal Palace backed to resolve Uefa issue
Borson insisted he believes Palace will find a way around the issue to allow them to compete in the Europa League next season.
He told Football Insider: “It’s not completely clear.
“I suspect it will be fine. The complexities are we don’t know exactly the details of how much control he has at Crystal Palace and how the arrangement works.
“If he has indirect influence, and it is defined in Article 5 of the Uefa rules that it needs to be significant. It’s not just that you happen to be a shareholder, so you would have to have significant influence over certain aspects of Crystal Palace for this to bite.
“Then the issue is going to be around what his plans are. He seems to have a lot of corporate plans for Crystal Palace and for Eagle.
“He talks about how he’d like to take his stake up in Crystal Palace or he’d like to sell it completely, and how he wants to IPO in New York the whole Eagle Holdings business that sits above Lyon and Crystal Palace.
“Now, none of the teams that have done a blind trust deal, so City with Girona, Nottingham Forest with Olympiacos, and Manchester United with Nice, none of those situations have had the interested party also at the same time saying that he wants to do some corporate activity.
“Because to do corporate activity, he’s going to need the influence and control to remain. He can’t put it into a blind trust and then do the IPO because he’d end up changing what the proposition is for the investors.
“So, I think there’s a slight complexity there. But I think Palace will find a way. Even if there is an issue and a potential conflict, I think they’ll find a way.”
Club Stake (%)
Crystal Palace (England) 45
Botafogo (Brazil) 90
Olympique Lyonnais (France) 77.49
RWD Molenbeek (Belgium) 80
John Textor’s Eagle Football portfolio
Crystal Palace to open Oliver Glasner talks
Football Insider revealed on 20 May Palace and Oliver Glasner will open contract talks in the coming weeks as they look to agree a new deal.
The Austrian manager, who is out of contract at Selhurst Park in June 2026, was linked with Tottenham and RB Leipzig before his side’s FA Cup success.
Sources say the 50-year-old would “love” to lead Palace out in the Europa League next season.
For more Crystal Palace and exclusive news, follow us onFacebook or join our brand newWhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
Related Posts