Latest news with #TrivelaGroup
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
‘Devastated' club kicked out of Europe by Uefa in Crystal Palace-style case as statement released
IRISH club Drogheda United have been expelled from the UEFA Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules. The Boynesiders are currently owned by the Trivela Group - an organisation which also has a majority share in Danish side Silkeborg IF. 3 Silkeborg have also qualified for the Conference League but their involvement means that Drogheda United are unable to compete due to UEFA regulations. Drogheda were expelled from next season's competition as a result, with Silkeborg having finished this term in a higher league position. However, club officials plan to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imminently. A statement read: "The club can confirm that it has been notified by UEFA that we are facing expulsion from the UEFA Conference League due to Drogheda United and Silkeborg IF having both qualified for the same competition. "This is despite significant efforts by the club to work constructively with UEFA to make necessary ownership and governance changes to allow both to compete over the past several months. "We are devastated by this potential development and believe it would be both harsh and unfair, given the way brand new rule changes this year have been, in our view, inconsistently communicated and enforced across various clubs. "We are now appealing the decision to the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Given we are now in the midst of an ongoing legal proceeding, and out of respect for that process, UEFA, the CFCB, and the overall aim of sporting integrity, there are limits to what we are able to share at this time. "What we can say is this: we are—even at this late hour—fighting to do anything and everything we can to secure our players', supporters', and community's place in Europe. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "We have been in active dialogue with UEFA for months and have put forward a share disposition, trust arrangements, and various other undertakings consistent with recent CFCB precedent, only to have all of those efforts rebuffed. "Nevertheless, we look forward to the opportunity to be heard at CAS and thank you in advance for your support. Keep the faith." Crystal Palace could be KICKED OUT of Europa League before a ball is even kicked 3 Crystal Palace face a similar situation in the Europa League. The club's largest shareholder, John Textor, is also the majority owner of Lyon, who also qualified for the competition this season. French side Lyon have been granted priority as they finished higher in the league table, with Crystal Palace having qualified by winning the FA Cup last month. Palace officials have already met with UEFA chiefs in Switzerland, arguing that Textor has no controlling influence at Selhurst Park. They are now expecting a final decision by the end of June. Amid the ongoing battle, Textor is looking to sell his shares in Crystal Palace. He reportedly received an offer from New York Jets owner Woody Johnson this week. Should Textor sell up by June 27, Palace will keep their place in the Europa League.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Drogheda the losers as owner falls foul of Uefa rules on multi-club ownership
Drogheda United qualified for the Uefa Conference League by winning the FAI Cup on November 10th. Eight days later, it was confirmed that their US owner, The Trivela Group, had taken an 80 per cent stake in Danish club Silkeborg IF. On Tuesday, Drogheda were removed from next Tuesday's Conference League qualifier draw as Uefa rules state that 'no individual or legal entity' can control two teams competing in the same European competition. Trivela missed the March 1st deadline to show that it does not control both Drogheda and Silkeborg (in fact, it does). This can be seen as an administrative failing, although Silkeborg only qualified for Europe last month. Better to be safe than sorry. Evangelos Marinakis temporarily placed his majority shareholding of Nottingham Forest in a blind trust when his Greek club Olympiakos qualified for the Champions League. READ MORE When Forest finished seventh in the Premier League, and only qualified for the Conference League, the shipping magnate magically reappeared at the City Ground. Did he ever leave? Another potential problem for Trivela's founder Ben Boycott when his legal team appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday, are his comments from December 2024. 'Trivela is a very small group of like-minded investors,' said Boycott. 'We don't publish investor lists but we have a high degree of transparency in terms of you know who I am and I make the decisions. If you don't like something Trivela do, you can blame me and not anyone else. 'The way it is structured, I make the decisions and we're very cautious in terms of who gets admitted into that.' Boycott is co-chairman of Drogheda, Silkeborg and English side Walsall. Walsall co-chairman Leigh Pomlett and Walsall, Drogheda and Silkeborg co-chairman Ben Boycott. Photograph:There are so many unanswered questions: why is a Birmingham, Alabama-based investment house buying clubs in tiny soccer markets? How does it plan to turn a buck? None of this makes sense. On top of a hefty legal bill when they look to contest Uefa's 'expulsion' at CAS, Drogheda's guaranteed prize money of €525,000 could be washed down the drain. Trivela claims to have made 'significant efforts to make necessary ownership and governance changes'. 'We have been in active dialogue with Uefa for months and have put forward a share disposition, trust arrangements, and various other undertakings consistent with recent CFCB [Club Financial Control Body] precedent, only to have all of those efforts rebuffed.' [ Drogheda enjoy FAI Cup glory but still need happy ending to story Opens in new window ] What creates an embarrassing situation for Irish football as a whole is that Derry City did not apply for a Uefa licence after losing the cup final to Drogheda. That deadline has also passed. As it stands, Ireland will lose a lucrative fourth spot in European competitions when qualification begins on July 10th. By the way, Silkeborg secured a place in Tuesday's draw by finishing higher in their domestic league than Drogheda's ninth place in last season's League of Ireland. The giants of the multi-club ecosystem – Red Bull, Ineos and the City Football Group – keep finding ways to bend the Uefa rules around multi-club ownership and having two clubs in the same competition. Last season Manchester United and Manchester City made use of the 'blind trust' paper trail, used for decades by British prime ministers to avoid the accusation of benefiting personally from decisions they have influence over. Back in 1997, Tony Blair set one up but it was subsequently revealed that his wife, Cherie, was directing what grew into a £27 million property empire . Manchester United co-owner Ineos got away with not having operational control of its French club Nice, so both teams could feature in the 2025 Europa League. Drogheda United's Luke Heeney and Adam Foley celebrate winning the 2024 FAI Cup Final at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho The Abu Dhabi-owned City Football Group was permitted to enter Manchester City and Girona in last season's Champions League after Uefa was satisfied it had made 'significant changes to the ownership, governance, and financial support' of the Spanish club. Perhaps the most interesting stipulation by Uefa is that the clubs 'will not use any joint scouting or player database' until July 1st, 2025. And don't forget that Red Bull Salzburg from Austria and German club RB Leipzig were cleared to participate in the 2017-18 Champions League, following changes to their governance structures. If Drogheda can convince CAS that a similar situation exists, Trivela and Boycott would need to keep an even lower profile. Officially, the Crystal Palace situation is unresolved but the UK media are widely reporting that American businessman John Textor does not, legally speaking, control Lyon and the FA Cup winners. Apparently, Palace missed the deadline to put Textor's shares in a blind trust – sure, they had not won the FA Cup in March – but Uefa has been convinced that his 43 per cent stake does not come with a 'decisive influence'. Before the Drogheda situation, Ireland was sending four clubs into Europe next month. Shelbourne are busy readying Tolka Park for the first round of Champions League qualification while Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic are aiming for the Conference League group stages. That's what makes the Drogheda scenario so frustrating. In Irish football, progress on the field seems to be continually damaged by administrative failings off it. Or not. Over to CAS. UP NEXT: The League returns from the international break with Rovers aiming to put 12 points between themselves and defending champions Shelbourne by winning Virgin Media's live broadcast from Tolka Park. Elsewhere, second-placed Drogheda will seek to reduce Rovers' six-point lead at the top with a result against St Pat's at Richmond Park.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Drogheda United appealing expulsion from Conference League to CAS
Drogheda United have announced they are appealing their impending expulsion from the Conference League to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Irish top-flight club have been notified by UEFA that they are facing expulsion due to the governing body's multi-club ownership rules. Drogheda were set to compete in the same UEFA competition as Danish club Silkeborg IF, who have the same majority owners, Trivela Group. Drogheda described the development as 'harsh and unfair'. Advertisement UEFA rules forbid individuals from being involved with multiple clubs in the same competition, a regulation Drogheda has accused of being 'inconsistently communicated and reinforced'. The club said in a statement: 'We have been in active dialogue with UEFA for months and have put forward a share disposition, trust arrangements, and various other undertakings consistent with recent CFCB (Club Financial Control Body) precedent, only to have all of those efforts rebuffed.' The deadline to address any multi-club issues was on March 1. UEFA confirmed Drogheda have not been admitted to the Conference League because of multi-club ownership issues and that they have appealed to CAS, but they have declined to comment until the legal proceedings have concluded. Silkeborg would be admitted to the Conference League at the expense of Drogheda due to their higher league finish last season. Crystal Palace are facing a similar situation as John Textor's Eagle Football possesses a 43 per cent stake in the south London club and an 88 per cent stake in Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League. Palace qualified for the Europa League after their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, but their participation in a first European campaign is in jeopardy if they do not come to an agreement with UEFA. Palace have presented their case to European football's governing body. The official rules state: '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. Advertisement '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.' Last year the regulations were relaxed to allow owners to be involved in multiple clubs in different competitions. Under this update, Palace would be allowed to compete in the Conference League but their other general partner, David Blitzer's Global Football Holdings company also owns a stake in Danish side Brondby, who have qualified for the third-tier UEFA competition.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Drogheda United facing expulsion from Uefa Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules
Drogheda United are facing expulsion from the Uefa Conference League due to both themselves and Silkeborg IF — who are both run by American-based Trivela Group — qualifying for this year's competition. The club were informed today that due to multi-club ownership rules they may be removed from the competition. Advertisement The Uefa regulation states that 'no individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition'. In a situation such as this, the club with the higher league placing is allowed to remain in the competition. Alarmingly, for Drogheda, that would be Silkeborg IF. In a statement this afternoon, the club said the news came "despite significant efforts by the club to work constructively with UEFA to make necessary ownership and governance changes to allow both to compete over the past several months." "We are devastated by this potential development and believe it would be both harsh and unfair, given the way brand new rule changes this year have been, in our view, inconsistently communicated and enforced across various clubs. Advertisement "We are now appealing the decision to the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Given we are now in the midst of an ongoing legal proceeding, and out of respect for that process, UEFA, the CFCB, and the overall aim of sporting integrity, there are limits to what we are able to share at this time. "What we can say is this: we are — even at this late hour — fighting to do anything and everything we can to secure our players', supporters', and community's place in Europe. "We have been in active dialogue with UEFA for months and have put forward a share disposition, trust arrangements, and various other undertakings consistent with recent CFCB precedent, only to have all of those efforts rebuffed. "Nevertheless, we look forward to the opportunity to be heard at CAS and thank you in advance for your support."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Drogheda to take Conference League expulsion to Cas
Drogheda United have been told they are facing expulsion from the 2025-26 Uefa Conference League but have said they will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Two clubs under the same ownership cannot compete in the same competition and the Irish Premier Division club are owned by the US-group Trivela Group, who also own Danish side Silkeborg rules see the lower ranked team excluded from the competition, in this case Drogheda, who won the FAI Cup in November 2024 as a semi-professional side. Trivela bought Silkeborg shortly both teams qualified for the third-tier Uefa competition, this season won by Chelsea, thanks to lifting their country's primary cup competition, Silkeborg's seventh-place finish in the Danish league would outweigh Drogheda's ninth-place finish in the League of Ireland Premier Division. 'Harsh and unfair' A statement from Drogheda on Thursday said the club were "devastated" by the developments and described the decision as "harsh and unfair"."The club can confirm that it has been notified by Uefa that we are facing expulsion from the Uefa Conference League due to Drogheda United and Silkeborg IF having both qualified for the same competition. "This is despite significant efforts by the club to work constructively with Uefa to make necessary ownership and governance changes to allow both to compete over the past several months."We are devastated by this potential development and believe it would be both harsh and unfair, given the way brand new rule changes this year have been, in our view, inconsistently communicated and enforced across various clubs."The club say a Cas hearing will take place on Monday with Drogheda adding they will be "fighting to do anything and everything" they can to secure their place in advanced their assessment date to 21 March rather than June but Drogheda missed the Uefa circular when it was sent to other clubs about the date being brought forward. In response to a request from BBC Sport on Wednesday, Uefa said that decisions regarding multi-club ownership cases for the forthcoming season will be announced "in due course during June", adding that they would not comment on individual club cases until an official decision has been feel they have not been given time or support to be put into a blind trust to avoid a conflict of situation is similar to that being experienced by Crystal Palace, who qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup, the club's only qualification into continental football in their 120-year are also set to decide whether Palace have breached its rules on teams under one multi-club ownership structure competing in that final ruling will centre on American businessman John Textor, owner of Eagle Football - which holds a 43% stake in Football also owns a 77% stake in French side Lyon, who - like Palace - have qualified for next season's Europa recent seasons, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been admitted into European competition despite initial concerns over multi-club ownership.
