Crystal Palace set for UEFA talks over Europa League participation
Crystal Palace are set to argue their case to UEFA to allow the club to compete in the Europa League next season.
The club's participation in the tournament is in jeopardy due to the governing body's rules on multi-club ownership.
Palace's four general partners — John Textor, chairman Steve Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer — will meet UEFA representatives on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue that stems from Eagle Football, controlled by Textor, owning a stake in French club Lyon, who also qualified for the competition.
UEFA's deadline to address any multi-club issues was on March 1.
Teams that win the FA Cup gain automatic entry to the Europa League, if they have not already qualified for the Champions League.
Palace earned the right to play their first-ever European campaign by winning the FA Cup in May. Eberechi Eze scored the only goal of the game against Manchester City as Palace lifted their first major trophy in club history.
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UEFA's rules forbid individuals from being involved with multiple clubs in the same competition.
Textor is the controlling owner of Eagle Football, which possesses an 88 per cent stake in Lyon and a 43 per cent stake in Palace.
Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1, which earned them a spot in the third-tier UEFA Conference League. However, Paris Saint-Germain won the Coupe de France final in late May having already qualified for the Champions League by winning Ligue 1, meaning that Lyon were given a Europa League slot.
UEFA rules are as follows:
'No club participating in a UEFA club competition may, either directly or indirectly, hold or deal in the securities or shares of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition; … be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition; or have any power whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.
'No one may simultaneously be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition.
'No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition, (including) holding a majority of the shareholders' voting rights; having the right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the administrative, management or supervisory body of the club; being a shareholder and alone controlling a majority of the shareholders' voting rights pursuant to an agreement entered into with other shareholders of the club; or being able to exercise by any means a decisive influence in the decision-making of the club.'
Palace's general partners each hold an equal 25 per cent share of the voting rights at the club.
After a relaxation of UEFA's rules last year, it appeared that entry into the Conference League, Europe's third-tier tournament, would be an option if Palace are denied access to the Europa League. However, Blitzer's Global Football Holdings company owns a stake in Danish side Brondby, who also qualified for the competition.
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In the event that Palace are disqualified from European competition entirely, Nottingham Forest could be promoted to the Europa League after finishing seventh and qualifying for the Conference League. Palace's rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, who finished eighth, could enter the Conference League.
Palace's position is under threat rather than Lyon's as UEFA state that the club ranked highest in its domestic championship may be given entry to the competition. Lyon's sixth-place finish gives them priority over Palace, who came 12th.
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