According to reports, UEFA, the organisation that oversees European football, has decided whether to allow Lyon to play in the Europa League. This might be a significant change for Crystal Palace.
Palace, a Premier League team, defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final last month to win their first major trophy ever.
As the Eagles guaranteed their spot in Europe for the 25–26 season, Eberechi Eze scored the game-winning goal.
However, it was later revealed that Palace might not be allowed to play in Europe because its proprietor, John Textor, owns a majority position in Lyon, a French team that has already qualified for the Europa League, in violation of UEFA’s regulations regarding multi-club ownership.
Consequently, Textor made the decision to sell his 43 percent ownership in Palace, thus opening the door for the team to travel to Europe.
Last week, nevertheless, it was asserted that Palace might still be disqualified from the competition.
The Times reported that teams must fulfil the eligibility requirements by March 1, 2025, almost four months prior to Textor’s sale, in accordance with UEFA’s official multi-club ownership regulations.
The UEFA rules state: “To ensure the integrity of the Uefa club competitions, the club must be able to prove that as at 1 March 2025 the… multi-club ownership criteria were met and the club must continue to comply with the criteria from that date until the end of the competition season.”
Due to financial difficulties, Lyon was demoted from Ligue 1, and the French team promptly appealed the decision.
It was reported on Friday afternoon that a formal decision had been made on Lyon’s European participation.
Lyon has been informed by UEFA that their spot in the 25/26 Europa League has been assured, according to French news outlet Foot Mercato.
According to reports, general manager Michael Gerlinger and shareholder Textor have “personally conducted financial presentations to provide guarantees and reassurances to UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body.”
Given that the Eagles will learn their destiny next week, it is unclear how this development will affect Palace’s Europa League standing.
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