Premier League side Crystal Palace are at risk of getting expelled from next season’s UEFA Europa League, with club officials heading to a summit with UEFA. The Eagles are one of eight English sides to qualify for Europe next season but may now be banished from participating in the Europa League.
The Daily Mail reports that Palace could find themselves kicked out of Europe due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. They are, however, set to have a meeting with UEFA in Switzerland to clarify their position and hope for a favourable outcome.
Crystal Palace qualified for the Europa League after claiming a hard-earned 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final last month. Their problems stem from the ownership of American businessman John Textor, who has a 43% stake in the club.
Textor’s other club in Europe, Olympique Lyon, also qualified for the Europa League after finishing sixth in France. As UEFA does not permit two teams owned by the same individual/body to play in the same competition, one of the teams would have to be expelled. Crystal Palace are set to face the axe because they finished 12th in England, lower than Lyon’s sixth-place finish in Ligue 1.
Palace would have dropped to the Europa Conference League, but another of their owners, David Blitzer, owns Brondby. The Danish club are in the playoffs for the Conference League and finished third in their league, meaning that Palace cannot get in ahead of them.
To enable them participate in the Europa League, Crystal Palace will have to convince UEFA that Textor’s ownership comes with limited influence. He reportedly owns just 25% of the voting rights at Selhurst Park, with Blitzer, Steve Parish, and Josh Harris each owning 25%, as well.
Palace will be keen to feature in Europe for the first time in their history in the 2025-26 season. The competition will provide a huge boost for their finances and will help them attract quality players in the summer.
Europa League champions Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze this summer, as per reports. Spurs are keen to strengthen their squad after winning the Europa to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
TEAMTalk reports that Ange Postecoglou’s side are considering to trigger the £68 million release clause in Eze’s contract. They have also looked at the possibility of carrying out a cash-plus-player swap with their fellow London side to allow Eze join them.
Eberechi Eze has two years left on his contract at Selhurst Park, with his deal set to expire in 2027. The England international scored 14 goals, including the winner in the FA Cup, and provided 11 assists across all competitions.
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