August 13, 2025

Hold onto your hats, football fans! Crystal Palace’s fight to play in the lucrative Europa League hit a brick wall on Monday. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest sports court, said a big NO to Palace’s appeal. This means the English FA Cup winners must start in the third-tier Conference League, all because of a tricky UEFA rule about club ownership. The drama? It’s all about American investor John Textor. He owned 43% of Palace last season and also had stakes in French club Lyon. UEFA says this breaks their rules meant to keep competitions fair and clean. Even though Textor sold his Palace shares last month to Woody Johnson, the New York Jets owner, it was too late. The CAS judges said, "Textor was a board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA's assessment date." And there’s no wiggle room in UEFA’s rules for breaking deadlines. Meanwhile, red-hot rivals Nottingham Forest and Lyon sailed smoothly into the Europa League this September. Forest’s awesome owner Evangelos Marinakis also owns Greek giants Olympiakos, and Lyon managed to avoid relegation in France despite big financial troubles. Textor’s French club was saved last minute thanks to an appeal, with American businesswoman Michele Kang stepping in as Lyon’s new president. Palace’s European journey, sparked by their historic FA Cup win over Manchester City in May, suddenly looks different. Instead of the glamorous Europa League, they start the qualifying playoff round against Norwegian or Danish clubs by late August. This demotion could hit Palace hard on the field and in their wallet. They’ll get fewer games and less prize money, and star players like Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze may attract richer clubs eager to sign them. Fans are furious! At Wembley, some Palace supporters showed banners calling UEFA the “UEFA Mafia.” The rules were created over 25 years ago to protect football’s pure spirit, but with big-money investors from the US buying clubs everywhere, the rules are now being tested like never before. John Textor, now a controversial figure in football, also owns clubs in Brazil and Belgium, and had once tried to buy Everton. This whole saga shines a spotlight on the global clash of money, rules, and passion in European football. For now, Palace must regroup, fight in the Conference League, and dream big again.

Read More at Timesofindia →

Tags: Crystal palace, Uefa rules, Multi-club ownership, John textor, Europa league, Court of arbitration for sport,