John Textor to sell stake in Crystal Palace to avoid European ban
John Textor is Crystal Palace's largest shareholder and the owner of Lyon, who are also due to take part in the Europa League.
John Textor is Crystal Palace's largest shareholder and the owner of Lyon, who are also due to take part in the Europa League. Photograph: Dave Winter/Shutterstock
John Textor is attempting to sell his 43% stake in Crystal Palace so the club averts the being denied European competition next season. Palace's participation in the Europa League has been thrown into doubt by Uefa multi-club rules that bar sides with the same owner from competing in the same continental event. Textor is Palace's largest shareholder and the owner of Lyon, who are also due to take part in the tournament.
Officials from Palace and Uefa met in Nyon on Tuesday and a decision is expected in the next 10 days. Despite the size of Textor's stake, he has only 25% of voting rights at Palace and argues this means no rules have been breached. He has been attempting to complete a full takeover but that has stalled and he may sell so Palace are allowed to fulfil what is, if a dalliance with the defunct Intertoto Cup in 1998 is discounted, their European debut.
Advertisement
'All of the UK knows that I don't have decisive influence over Palace,' Textor told the Daily Mail. 'It was a good meeting. They listened and we'll see what happens. I wouldn't be trying to sell [this stake] if I did. We are trying to help separate it and sell. We wanted to buy but it's become clear that isn't going to happen and so we're trying to help Palace and the situation with Uefa.'
Uefa's rules stipulate that if Palace cannot prove their separation from Lyon they would be demoted to the Conference League as the lower-ranked of the clubs. The situation becomes more complex given the Danish club Brondby, who expect to compete in that tournament, are majority owned by the Palace co-owner David Blitzer. The draw for the Conference League's first qualifying round is made on 17 June.
Possible workarounds include placing one or more of the clubs involved into a blind trust, as the Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe did last year with his Ligue 1 club, Nice, when both clubs qualified for the Europa League. Palace, who qualified for the Europa League through their shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City, had not met the Uefa deadline of 1 March for proving they had separate ownership structures.
Palace may yet be thrown another lifeline by the threat of further Uefa sanctions against financially stricken Lyon. The French club are under a settlement agreement that involves heavy financial penalties and transfer controls. If they are deemed to have breached it, they could be ejected from the Europa League.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Could Mauricio Pochettino leave USMNT for Tottenham?: 'It's not realistic'
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Since Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur made the decision to sack their manager, Ange Postecoglou, earlier this week, United States men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino has been linked to a return to North London, where he managed from 2014 to 2019. But the Argentine manager made it clear on Saturday that he's committed to the United States, while acknowledging the rumors surrounding his future. "After I left in 2019, every time that I was free, and the place of the position of the manager or head coach in Tottenham Hotspur, my name is appearing on the list," Pochettino said following the United States' 2-1 loss to Turkey at Rentschler Field. "If you have seen the rumors, I think there are 100 coaches in the list. I think, don't be worried about that. "If something happened, you for sure you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing, because I think today, it's not real. It's not realistic. And look at where I am, where we are. And the thing is, the answer is so clear, no? But we're talking about it because it's my club, like Newells or Espanyol." Pochettino signed a two-year contract with the United States men's national team in September. He's expected to lead the USMNT at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The USMNT have lost their last three matches under Pochettino. He's the first manager to drop three straight matches since Jürgen Klinsmann in 2015. The United States will play its final pre-Gold Cup exhibition match on Tuesday against Switzerland. Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from United States Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
FIFA Club World Cup bracket: Schedule, groups for 2025 tournament
FIFA Club World Cup bracket: Schedule, groups for 2025 tournament Show Caption Hide Caption Timing of FIFA Club World Cup problematic for teams across the globe Seth Vertelney explains why the timing of the FIFA Club World Cup is sounding alarms for franchises across the globe. Sports Seriously The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is approaching, with the 32-team tournament featuring some of the biggest club teams in global soccer. The new format for the Club World Cup includes a major expansion, with the old version of the event featuring just seven teams in most editions. Now, though, the event will feature group-stage play akin to what most fans will recognize from the men's and women's World Cups. The path through the bracket will be tough for MLS's representatives. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have a viable path out of their group, and LAFC (the final entrants to qualify) could do the same, but both will be up against it unless multiple European giants fall in the first round. The Seattle Sounders, meanwhile, will face newly-crowned Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in what is arguably the hardest group in the tournament. Here is a complete bracket for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, including the schedule, groups, and a list of participating teams: FIFA Club World Cup tickets: Here are the cheapest seats for this summer's tournament Club World Cup 2025 bracket, schedule The 32 teams in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have been placed into eight groups of four, with a round-robin group stage serving as the tournament's first round. Here are the eight groups: Group A Teams: Al Ahly (Egypt), Porto (Portugal), Palmeiras (Brazil), Inter Miami (United States) June 14: Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami June 15: Palmeiras vs. Porto Palmeiras vs. Porto June 19: Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly June 19: Inter Miami vs. Porto Inter Miami vs. Porto June 23: Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras June 23: Porto vs. Al Ahly Group B Teams: Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Botafogo (Brazil), Seattle Sounders (United States) June 15: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid June 15: Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders June 19: Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid June 19: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo June 23: Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain June 23: Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo Group C Teams: Bayern Munich (Germany), Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Benfica (Portugal) June 15: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City June 16: Boca Juniors vs. Benfica Boca Juniors vs. Benfica June 20: Benfica vs. Auckland City Benfica vs. Auckland City June 20: Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors June 24: Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors June 24: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich Group D Teams: Flamengo (Brazil), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Chelsea (England), LAFC (United States) June 16: Chelsea vs. LAFC Chelsea vs. LAFC June 16: Flamengo vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis Flamengo vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis June 20: Flamengo vs. Chelsea Flamengo vs. Chelsea June 20: LAFC vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis LAFC vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis June 24: LAFC vs. Flamengo LAFC vs. Flamengo June 24: Espérance Sportive de Tunis vs. Chelsea Group E Teams: River Plate (Argentina), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Monterrey (Mexico), Inter Milan (Italy) June 17: River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds June 17: Monterrey vs. Inter Milan Monterrey vs. Inter Milan June 21: Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds June 21: River Plate vs. Monterrey River Plate vs. Monterrey June 25: Inter Milan vs. River Plate Inter Milan vs. River Plate June 25: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey Group F Teams: Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Ulsan HD (Korea Republic), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) June 17: Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund June 17: Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns June 21: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund June 21: Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD June 25: Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD June 25: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense Group G Teams: Manchester City (England), Wydad AC (Morocco), Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), Juventus (Italy) June 18: Manchester City vs. Wydad AC Manchester City vs. Wydad AC June 18: Al Ain vs. Juventus Al Ain vs. Juventus June 22: Juventus vs. Wydad AC Juventus vs. Wydad AC June 22: Manchester City vs. Al Ain Manchester City vs. Al Ain June 26: Juventus vs. Manchester City Juventus vs. Manchester City June 26: Wydad AC vs. Al Ain Group H Teams: Real Madrid (Spain), Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) June 18: Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal June 18: Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg June 22: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca Real Madrid vs. Pachuca June 22: Red Bull Salzburg vs. Al-Hilal Red Bull Salzburg vs. Al-Hilal June 26: Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca June 26: Red Bull Salzburg vs. Real Madrid Round of 16 June 28: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up (Match 49) Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up (Match 49) June 28: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up (Match 50) Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up (Match 50) June 29: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up (Match 51) Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up (Match 51) June 29: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up (Match 52) Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up (Match 52) June 30: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up (Match 53) Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up (Match 53) June 30: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up (Match 54) Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up (Match 54) July 1: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up (Match 55) Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up (Match 55) July 1: Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up (Match 56) Quarterfinals July 4: Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner (Match 57) Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner (Match 57) July 4: Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner (Match 58) Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner (Match 58) July 5: Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner (Match 59) Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner (Match 59) July 5: Match 55 winner vs. Match 56 winner (Match 60) Semifinals July 8: Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner (Match 61) Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner (Match 61) July 9: Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner (Match 62) Final July 13: Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner Club World Cup 'Ca$h Grab': Sounders players protest prize money ahead of FIFA tournament How does Club World Cup bracket work? The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will work through a bracket familiar to any fan of international soccer. Much like the World Cup for national teams, the Club World Cup will start with a group stage, with the 32 participants divided into eight groups of four. Those groups will operate on a round-robin basis, with a given team playing the other members of the group once, and the top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout round. That will leave 16 teams standing, and from there it's pretty simple: winners advance, losers go home. The knockout stages will progress from a round of 16 to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the tournament final on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. When does the FIFA Club World Cup start? The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will run from June 14 to July 13 at locations spread throughout the United States. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are set play in the opening match, which will see the MLS contenders take on Egyptian club Al-Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at 8 p.m. ET. The tournament final is scheduled to be held on July 13 at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Here is a schedule of each stage of the tournament: Group stage: June 14-26 June 14-26 Round of 16: June 28-July 1 June 28-July 1 Quarterfinals: July 4-5 July 4-5 Semifinals: July 8-9 July 8-9 Final: July 13 Club World Cup 2025: How to watch, TV, streaming Every one of the 63 games at the Club World Cup will stream for free on DAZN, while select matches will be carried on TNT in English. Univision, TUDN, and ViX will all carry games in the U.S. in Spanish. Watch the entire Club World Cup FREE on DAZN
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Germany plans to revamp shelter system in case of Russian attack by 2029: ‘We are concerned about the risk of a major war'
Fearing Russia could attack another European country within the next four years, Germany is planning to expand its network of bomb-proof bunkers and shelters, according to reports. 'For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare,' Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, said in a recent interview as reported by The Guardian. 'That has changed,' Tiesler said. 'We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe.' Advertisement 4 Germany's civil protection agency chief is warning that the country is not prepared for a Russian attack. Fears are mounting that the Kremlin — following its three-year war in Ukraine — could be capable of attacking a NATO country by 2029, so Germany must 'muster a functioning, comprehensive defense system by then,' Tiesler said. And time is of the essence. Germany cannot rely on building new bunker facilities in time so Tiesler's agency is working on plans to transform tunnels, metro stations, underground garages, car parks and the basements of public buildings into shelters. Advertisement To be presented this summer, they would create shelter for 1 million people, he estimated. The country has about 2,000 bunkers left over from the Cold War but fewer than 600 are in working order and most will require pricey renovations, Tiesler explained. Plus, those would only shelter about 480,000, less than 1% of the German population. 4 Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance is working on plans to transform metro stations and tunnels into shelters. 4 Germany's existing bunkers are nearly 80 years old and in need of renovations. Advertisement Finland, on the other hand, has 50,000 bunkers that could hold 4.8 million people, or 85% of its population, according to Tiesler's office. The agency leader is urging German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to fund the plans, as well as efforts to revamp apps, road signs and siren systems that would be used if residents need to take shelter. 'We don't want to unnecessarily frighten anyone, but we must nevertheless clearly warn of the danger of a military attack,' Tiesler told news site Zeit Online. 4 Russia's brutal war in Ukraine has caused fears in other European countries. AP Advertisement Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked similar concerns across Europe, motivating some countries to begin defense preparations. Poland, which borders Russia and Ukraine, plans to spend almost 5% of GDP on defense this year, the more than any of its NATO partners, the BBC reported last month.
