Crystal Palace Europa League spot in doubt after Lyon decision
Crystal Palace’s place in the Europa League is in fresh doubt after French club Lyon won an appeal to stay in the top flight across the channel.
The Eagles beat Manchester City in the FA Cup to qualify for the Europa League earlier this year, but John Textor – who is Palace’s largest shareholder – owns French club Lyon, who themselves qualified for the Europa League.
It put the two clubs on a collision course with Uefa, and it looks like Lyon has won.
Despite Textor agreeing to sell his shareholding in Palace to Woody Johnson – owner of the New York Jets – and Lyon being relegated to Ligue 2 for financial issues, offering hope to Eagles fans, the victorious appeal across the Channel means Palace may now fall into the Europa Conference League.
Had Lyon’s relegation been confirmed on Wednesday, Palace would have been guaranteed a spot in Europe’s second tier competition – with potential away days to the likes of Roma, Porto and Stuttgart.
The ball is now in Uefa’s court, with the governing body set to rule on whether Textor’s links to both clubs and the sale to Johnson – he has been removed from Crystal Palace’s Companies House documents – is enough to give the Eagles a spot in the Europa League.
Palace sunk by Lyon?
“Olympique Lyonnais welcomes today’s decision from the DNCG [French football’s accounts watchdog] which restores our position in Ligue 1 and is grateful that the Appeal Commission recognises the ambition of the Club’s new management to ensure a professionalised administration of its affairs going forward,” Lyon said in a statement.
The club added that the decision is the “first step in restoring confidence in Olympique Lyonnais”.
Lyon had said they would recuse themselves from the Europa League should they be relegated to the French second tier but that possibility will no longer be enacted. Palace will be made to sweat over their European future.