UEFA have already decided what team would replace Crystal Palace if they were banned from Europe as latest plan 'rejected'
UEFA has reportedly decided what club will replace Crystal Palace in the 2025/26 Europa League after it emerged that the organisation ‘rejected’ offers from Eagles co-owners to put shares in a blind trust.
Crystal Palace’s participation in next year’s Europa League is still uncertain after it emerged earlier this week that the club could be in breach of UEFA multi-club ownership rules.
The issue relates to John Textor, who has around a 43 percent stake in the club, and his shares in Ligue 1 side Lyon - also set to take part in the competition.
It was claimed that Palace may essentially be demoted to the Conference League, but this would add to the issue as Palace’s majority shareholder, David Blitzer, also boasts a majority stake in Danish club Brondby.
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UEFA regulations are in place to “ensure the integrity of the UEFA club competitions (i.e. UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League)”.
The rules make clear that “No one may simultaneously be involved, either directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition”.
On Tuesday, the football club held an ‘emergency summit’ with UEFA officials in Switzerland.
Shortly after, Textor spoke to the Mail and suggested that he may sell his shares to allow the club to participate.
On Thursday (June 5), an update emerged via The Guardian, and it does not look good for Oliver Glasner’s side.
The outlet reported that “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”.
The idea that the FA Cup winners could drop into the Conference League is also not viable due to Brondby’s participation and UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership.
Manchester City and Manchester United previously used ‘blind trusts’ to ensure they could compete in Europe, but Palace “missed the deadline for registering the trust”, according to the report.
UEFA rules state that such ownership changes must take place before 1 March.
So if Palace are banned from the Europa League, Nottingham Forest would essentially be promoted from the Conference League, while Palace’s rivals Brighton, who finished eighth in the Premier League, would then compete in the third-tier competition.
Topics: Crystal Palace, UEFA, Europa League, Football, Premier League
Luke Davies