Forest Seeks Clarification on Palace’s Europa League Qualification
Forest’s Concerns Over Palace’s European Status
Nottingham Forest has reached out to Uefa for clarification regarding their worries about Crystal Palace’s spot in the Europa League. The Eagles achieved their historic qualification for European competition after winning the FA Cup, but Uefa must evaluate whether they have violated multi-club ownership guidelines.
Ownership Rules in Question
The ruling will hinge on American businessman John Textor, the owner of Eagle Football, which holds a 43% stake in Crystal Palace. Complications arise as Eagle Football simultaneously owns a 77% stake in Olympique Lyonnais, who also secured a place in the upcoming Europa League season.
Uefa regulations stipulate that no individual or legal entity can possess majority voting rights at two clubs competing in the same European tournament. Given that Lyon finished higher in their league at sixth place while Palace ended their Premier League campaign in twelfth, the French team would take precedence if a ruling comes against both clubs.
Forest finished seventh in the Premier League, earning a spot in the Europa Conference League playoffs. If Palace is barred from competing, Forest could be elevated to the Europa League.
Forest’s Official Position
Sources indicate that Nottingham Forest has formally expressed their concerns to Uefa. Uefa’s regulations aim to prevent any collusion between clubs, and Palace argues their FA Cup triumph, where they defeated Manchester City, was solely achieved through their own efforts.
The club stresses that it operates independently and does not function within a multi-club framework. They assert there has been no sharing of staff or resources with Lyon, nor any form of cooperative strategies, sponsorship arrangements, or joint scouting initiatives.
Forest, on the other hand, has side-stepped similar issues after owner Evangelos Marinakis reduced his control over the club. Marinakis also owns Olympiakos and Rio Ave, and at one point, both Forest and Olympiakos were on a trajectory toward Champions League qualification.
Uefa modified its deadline to March 1 for clubs to disclose potential ownership conflicts, as the previous deadline of June 1 was unmanageable. At that time, Palace had not taken any action despite the possibility of FA Cup qualification.
Future Implications
The initial qualification rounds for the Europa League and the Conference League are scheduled for July, and attempts to secure clarity are pressing as the situation unfolds.
Analysis: What Makes This a Pressing Issue?
This multi-club ownership problem has affected several Premier League teams in recent years, such as Brighton, Manchester City, and Manchester United, yet none faced expulsion from Uefa competitions. Why, then, is it a viable concern for Palace now?
The critical factor here is that Palace did not confront these issues before the imposed deadline. Uefa accelerated the cutoff to March 1 to manage the influx of potential ownership cases before the qualifying draws occur.
Clubs had to gauge their positions early, particularly Nottingham Forest, who anticipated a strong chance of European qualification and proactively addressed their ownership structure.
It remains uncertain how Palace would have responded had they been in a similar situation late in February, especially knowing they were in the FA Cup alongside several prominent clubs still vying for the title.
Currently, Palace asserts that while Textor holds a significant share, he does not involve himself in their operational processes. Nonetheless, they face a challenge because the rule is explicit, and Uefa must render a decision on a complex matter that could easily be contested at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should any party be dissatisfied with the outcome.
CAS has previously upheld decisions, such as kicking the Mexican club Leon out of the Club World Cup for violating ownership regulations. As this situation develops, the stakes remain exceptionally high for all involved.
