Latest news with #John Textor
France 24
5 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Crystal Palace demoted to UEFA Conference League for multi-club breach
US businessman John Textor owns a stake in the Eagles and is the majority owner of French club Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League. Under UEFA multi-club ownership rules, Lyon have been allowed to keep their place in the second-tier competition of European football as they finished higher in Ligue 1 (6th) than Palace (12th) in the Premier League last season. Palace qualified for European competition for the first time by winning the FA Cup in May - the club's first ever major trophy. Textor has since agreed to sell his 43 percent stake in the London club to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. However, that deal is yet to be completed and was struck well after UEFA's deadline of March 1 for multi-club conflicts to be resolved. A decision on Palace's fate had been delayed by a separate case that initially saw Lyon relegated to the second tier of French football due to financial problems. The seven-time French champions won an appeal against that decision on Wednesday after Textor stood aside from the day-to-day running of the club. Palace are expected to appeal the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Nottingham Forest, who had qualified for the Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, will replace Palace in the Europa League, a UEFA source told AFP.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Crystal Palace dropped to UEFA's Conference League in multi-club ownership case
July 11 (Reuters) - Premier League side Crystal Palace have been dropped in European competition to the third-tier Conference League in a multi-club ownership case, while Olympique Lyonnais will be allowed to play in the Europa League, UEFA said on Friday. Palace had qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup last season, while Lyon reached the competition by finishing sixth in Ligue 1. A move to relegate them to France's domestic second-tier Ligue 2 over their poor finances was overturned on Wednesday, a decision UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) had been waiting for before ruling on the multi-club ownership case. "Consequently, the CFCB First Chamber pursued the assessment of the documentation submitted by Olympique Lyonnais and Crystal Palace and concluded that the clubs breached, as at 1 March 2025, the multi-club ownership criteria," UEFA said in a statement. As both Lyon and Palace had qualified for the Europa League, the French club were allowed to keep their place as they finished higher in their respective league, with Palace finishing 12th in the Premier League. The Eagle Football Group are majority owners of Lyon while its chairman John Textor also owns a controlling stake in Palace. Textor later resigned from Lyon's board of directors with Michele Kang appointed chairwoman and president. Palace said last month that New York Jets co-owner Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson had signed a legally binding agreement to buy Eagle Football Holding's stake in the Premier League club, subject to approval from the Premier League. However, Palace had missed the March deadline to comply with the multi-club ownership rules. "Honestly, I am stunned. We did everything possible to separate from the club, as UEFA would ask, with a sale process that began before the deadline, and a sale that will occur well before the draw," Textor told Reuters. "Now we have sold out of a club that I love, to help Palace fans continue this dream year, only to have another off-the-pitch decision lay waste to an historic sporting victory." Lyon had been demoted by the DNCG, French football's financial watchdog, in November due to the poor state of their finances but their relegation to Ligue 2 was overturned by its appeals committee. Palace can still appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport but if UEFA's decision stands, the rules could allow Nottingham Forest to play in the Europa League if they fulfil the admission criteria. Forest had finished seventh last season and originally qualified for the Conference League while fifth-placed Aston Villa and Palace had qualified for the Europa League. The rules say no club may hold or deal in securities or shares of any other club participating in UEFA's competitions and that no club can be a member of any other club participating in UEFA competitions. Furthermore, no one person has the power to be simultaneously involved in management, administration and/or sporting performance of any club and they must not have any control or decisive influence over more than one club.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'I don't have decisive influence' - Textor on multi-club ownership
Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor says Uefa have been given a document that says he has no influence on the management decisions of the club. Textor's involvement with both Palace and French club Lyon looks set to cost the Eagles a spot in the Europa League under Uefa's rules governing multi-club ownership."The document that I signed when I signed onto the shares, says clearly, that I'm not entitled to have any say in management decisions," Textor told Talksport. "They've [Uefa] seen that document, and I've sat there in the room and said 'OK, stop talking about the 25% and using that argument because it's below the Uefa threshold of 30%."My document says I have 0% vote so why would it be a problem?"When asked how much responsibility he will take if Palace do get demoted to Conference League, Textor said "we all do as owners," before being pushed to answer about him personally."I'll admit to not even thinking about the issue [prior to Palace winning the FA Cup]."Of course, I have to. But I also read the rule."Everybody is talking about it like it is so obvious. "If you have decisive influence then you may need to consider this but I don't and I didn't."If I had decisive influence, then those Brazilian players that just beat PSG in the Club World Cup, half of them would be coming to Crystal Palace next year."But you don't see one single player from our network of clubs, that's made their way on to the Palace roster."That is the source of my frustration with the lack of collaboration we've been able to have with Crystal Palace."
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
John Textor reveals X-rated reaction to Crystal Palace's FA Cup win and admits he immediately feared for their Europa League place - with the Eagles now set to be thrown out of the competition
John Textor admitted he was worried about whether Crystal Palace would be able to play in the Europa League from the moment they won last season's FA Cup. Textor's continued involvement at Lyon and Palace as of March 1 this year looks set to cost the Eagles a place in Europe's second-tier competition under UEFA's rules governing multi-club ownership. The American, who has agreed to sell his stake in the London club to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, told talkSPORT he immediately realised the issues Palace might face. 'I couldn't have been happier for the fans, but I was worried about what was coming there,' he said. Asked what he was thinking as Palace beat Manchester City at Wembley, Textor said: 'Oh s***, is what I thought. 'I was very happy, but I felt the gravity of it. And I was concerned on the same day holding the cup next to the Prince (William).' Palace's prospects of playing in the Europa League appeared to recede on Wednesday when Lyon won an appeal against their relegation to the French second division due to financial issues. Lyon had agreed a settlement with UEFA to be barred from European competition if the appeal was dismissed but are now set to play in Europe next season. Under multi-club ownership rules, clubs wishing to be eligible for qualification in 2025-26 had to be able to demonstrate that, as of March 1, no individual or legal entity had control or influence over more than one club participating in the same competition. Where two or more clubs fail to meet the criteria, only one can be entered. Lyon's higher league position would give them priority over Palace. Sources close to UEFA on June 30 indicated no multi-club ownership issue had been identified with regard to Palace shareholder David Blitzer's involvement with Danish side Brondby, who have qualified for the Conference League, which means the London club should face no barrier to entering UEFA's third-tier club competition. UEFA's club financial control body is set to make a final ruling on the Palace-Lyon case later this week or early next week at the latest. A statement by a group of Members of Parliament, whose constituencies are local to Crystal Palace, on Thursday called on UEFA to 'bring European football to south London.' It read: 'Crystal Palace's FA Cup win in May was a historic achievement. Supporters right across south London celebrated the first trophy in the club's 164-year history. 'As 2025's FA Cup victors, Crystal Palace FC qualify for the Europa League. To deny the club, the fans, and our local communities this opportunity goes against the value of fair play - a value central to the beautiful game. 'We are calling on UEFA to ensure Crystal Palace FC are included in the Europa League competition and European football is brought to south London.' The statement was posted to the official X accounts of three of its four signatories, Sarah Jones, MP for Croydon West, Steve Reed, the MP for Streatham and Croydon North and Croydon East MP Natasha Irons. Beckenham & Penge MP Liam Conlon also signed the statement.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Textor had Europe fears moments after Palace won cup
Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor has said he feared the club's participation in Europe would be in doubt moments after they won the FA Cup in involvement with both Palace and French club Lyon looks set to cost the Eagles a spot in the Europa League under Uefa's rules governing multi-club has agreed to sell his 43% stake in Palace to fellow American Woody Johnson, who owns NFL team the New York what he went through his mind after Palace beat Manchester City at Wembley, Textor told Talksport: "I was very happy, but I felt the gravity of it. And I was concerned on the same day holding the cup next to the Prince [William]."It was a great moment and I couldn't have been happier for the fans, but yeah, I was worried about what was coming."This week Lyon won an appeal against their relegation from Ligue 1 because of the club's poor financial football authorities demoted the seven-time champions into Ligue 2 last month, but that decision has been overturned. It could affect Palace's chances of playing in the Europa League next season as Lyon have also qualified for the competition, with Uefa set to rule on the situation at the end of the stressed that while he has "helped" the club, his role at Selhurst Park has not been a majorly active one."I help a lot. I showed up during Covid and paid off Covid debt. I helped finish the academy," he added."I am sitting there on the board with four other guys. Steve Parish is making the decisions and bringing us players. He involves us but he doesn't really listen to us."A suggestion from time to time is not the same as decisive influence."
