Crystal Palace will not be able to participate in the Europa League this season. The FA Cup winner has been relegated to the Conference League because Olympique Lyonnais is already playing in the Europa League. The clubs have the same owner.
Crystal Palace won the FA Cup in May by defeating Manchester City in the final at Wembley. That earned them a direct Europa League ticket.
However, according to UEFA rules, clubs with the same owner are not allowed to play in the same European club tournament. Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais are part of the Eagle Football Group owned by American John Textor.
It briefly appeared that Olympique Lyonnais, who finished sixth in the French league last season, would not be allowed to play European football. The club was relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial mismanagement. However, the seven-time national champion successfully appealed, will remain active at the highest level, and is therefore allowed to participate in the Europa League.
As a result, Crystal Palace must still take a step back. ‘The Eagles’ will enter the Conference League with players including Walter BenÃtez and Borna Sosa. The goalkeeper and left-back have come from PSV and Ajax. Nottingham Forest benefits and is promoted from the Conference League to the Europa League.
Crystal Palace can still appeal. The London club must then be able to demonstrate that there is no conflict of interest. After the initial relegation of Olympique Lyonnais, Textor withdrew from the board of that club, although he remains involved as a co-owner.
In addition to Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais, the Brazilian club Botafogo and the Belgian club RWDM belong to the Eagle Football Group. Textor recently angered the RWDM fans by changing the club name, logo, and colors.
Ultimately, that decision was partially reversed. Next season, the club will go by the name RWDM Brussels.