Crystal Palace face being kicked out of Europe ENTIRELY with Conference League not an option as Man Utd trick fails
Eagles shareholder Jonathan Textor is willing to go to extreme measures to ensure the club plays European football next season
PALACE PROBLEM Crystal Palace closer than ever to being kicked out of Europe as Man Utd trick to stay in Europa League fails
CRYSTAL PALACE are facing complete EXPULSION from Europe next season after Uefa rejected a desperate ploy from club shareholders.
The Eagles are facing the prospect of not playing in the Europa League, which they qualified for by winning the FA Cup, due to shareholder John Textor owning a stake in French outfit in Lyon.
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Crystal Palace are facing complete expulsion from Europe next season
Credit: ALAMY
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Oliver Glasner's troops may not play any European footall due to shareholders John Textor and David Blizter owning stakes in clubs in the Europa League and Conference League
Credit: GETTY
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American Textor also owns shares in Ligue 1 side Lyon
Credit: AP
Lyon are also set to feature in the competition having qualified with a sixth-placed finish in the Ligue 1 last season.
Uefa rules prohibit anyone from "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."
The prospect of Palace dropping into the Conference League is also nigh-on impossible as other shareholder David Blizter also has a stake in Danish oufit Brondby, who are set to play in European football's tertiary club competition next season.
In a desperate bid to see the Eagles fly across Europe next season and comply with Uefa rules, Textor and Blizter offered to put their shares in a blind trust.
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But Uefa chiefs have REJECTED the offer, leaving Palace's proposed European adventure next season in limbo.
The proposal was rejected as Palace missed the registration deadline to submit it.
Had it been approved, a blind trust would've seen a group of trustees take control of Textor's shares in Palace for the 2025/26 season.
English clubs aren't strangers to utilising blind trusts so as not to fall afoul of Uefa rules.
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John Textor is willing to sell his Palace shares to ensure they can play in Europe next season
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Manchester City and Manchester United utilised blind trusts last season as sister clubs Girona and Nice both qualified for the Champions League and Europa League respectively.
Palace held crunch talks with Uefa to try to resolve the potentially devastating issue earlier this week.
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And the meeting on the shores of Lake Geneva ended up in Textor putting his shares in the south London club up for sale.
He told The Daily Mail: "Look, all of the UK knows that I don't have decisive influence over Palace. It was a good meeting.
"They listened and we'll see what happens. I wouldn't be trying to sell (his stake) if I did."
Textor, 59, added: ""We are trying to help separate it and sell.
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"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.
"That's about all I can say."
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