Premier League club questions Crystal Palace’s Europa League qualification

Recently, The Times of London reported on a controversial incident regarding European football competition qualification. Premier League side Nottingham Forest submitted an official letter to UEFA questioning whether Crystal Palace is eligible to participate in next season’s Europa League.

The issue stems from the fact that one of Crystal Palace’s major shareholders, American businessman John Tektor, also holds a stake in French club Lyon. According to UEFA regulations, an individual or company cannot simultaneously control two clubs participating in European competitions (such as the Europa League or Champions League). If this rule is violated, one of the clubs may be disqualified from the competition.

Crystal Palace has already met with UEFA officials to explain that they have not violated the rules and hopes to retain its Europa League qualification. UEFA plans to make a final decision by the end of this month.

There are reports that if Crystal Palace is found to have violated the rules, Nottingham Forest, which was originally scheduled to participate in the Europa Conference League, could “move up” to the Europa League. As a result, Nottingham Forest has also expressed its position and concerns to UEFA.

There is another key point here: Crystal Palace’s current situation is closely linked to whether Lyon will be able to participate in next season’s European competitions. If Lyon fails to qualify for European competitions, then Tekto will no longer have two teams competing in European competitions simultaneously, and Crystal Palace would no longer be in violation of the regulations.

However, Lyon has faced similar issues in the past. In December last year, UEFA temporarily banned Lyon from European competitions, but the club later regained its eligibility after meeting certain conditions. Lyon remains under close scrutiny by UEFA’s Financial Control Body (CFCB). If they violate the agreement again, they could face disqualification.

If UEFA ultimately rules that Crystal Palace cannot participate in the Europa League, the matter is likely to be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Crystal Palace may also file a lawsuit. If UEFA determines that Crystal Palace has no issues, Nottingham Forest may not give up and could continue to pursue its rights through legal channels.

Additionally, another team, Brighton, may also be affected. According to regulations, if two affiliated clubs wish to participate in the same European competition, they must complete the separation of their ownership structures by March 1. If Crystal Palace is relegated to the Europa Conference League, Brighton may also voice its objections.

It is worth noting that Crystal Palace secured their Europa League qualification by winning the FA Cup last season, which was the club’s first major trophy in its history. Therefore, the club believes they deserve this spot.

However, other Premier League clubs, such as Nottingham Forest and Brighton, have proactively adjusted their ownership structures to avoid similar issues. For example, Nottingham Forest’s owner, Marinakis, is also the owner of Greek club Olympiacos, but he has reduced his direct control over Forest to comply with UEFA requirements.

Last Tuesday, senior representatives from Crystal Palace traveled to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, to present their position to relevant officials. They emphasized that while Tektos is one of Crystal Palace’s major shareholders, there is no unified ownership group between the two clubs, nor do they share staff, facilities, or information, and therefore no regulations have been violated.

Although Tektos’ company “League Football Holdings” holds a 43% stake in Crystal Palace, the club stated that this company does not participate in daily operations. The 59-year-old businessman holds only 25% of the voting rights and must make major decisions in consultation with the other three senior executives—Chairman Parrish, Harris, and Blitzer. He has previously complained in public about having too little say in the club.

In addition, according to people familiar with the matter, Tecto actually began trying to sell his stake in Crystal Palace several months ago. If Harris or Blitzer are willing to take over these shares, the issue may be resolved soon.

Currently, Nottingham Forest and UEFA have not commented on the matter.

In summary, the core of this controversy lies in the legality of the ownership relationships between multiple clubs. It not only concerns who can participate in European competitions but also involves complex legal procedures and a multi-party利益 struggle. In the coming days, UEFA will make its final ruling, at which point all the details will be revealed.