[Football] If Palace can't play in the Europa League

[Seasider78]

Well this sets an interesting precedent for future challenge as essentially you can ignore the March deadline as long as

a) you sort it all out after the season and before your first game
b) demonstrate your fans would be upset and disappointed if UEFA uphold their rules

 

[seagull_si]

So who owns the other 45%? would they not need to pass the FA ownership test? surely they are now classed as a significant owner of Palace?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Well this sets an interesting precedent for future challenge as essentially you can ignore the March deadline as long as

a) you sort it all out after the season and before your first game
b) demonstrate your fans would be upset and disappointed if UEFA uphold their rules

It does look like Textor may have done enough to satisfy the rule. The deadline however is not worth the paper it is written on. UEFA appear to have bent their rules to allow Palace to find a solution.

Who knows what the next UEFA rule will be to be rendered meaningless by a club's refusal to abide by it.

Much the like "The Code" in Pirates of the Caribbean the UEFA rulebook seems to be a set of guidelines rather a robust means of governance.

 

[schmunk]

 

[hans kraay fan club]

From Kaveh Solhekol (Sky Sports):

"Textor has diluted his shares in Eagle Football and now owns about 55 per cent. Eagle Football owns 43 per cent of Palace and Textor personally has a stake which is now less than 30 per cent in Palace."

Seems unclear as to whether this has been done retrospectively as a last-ditch attempt to appease UEFA in the last week or so, I'd assume so...?

Full text of tweet from Solhekol.

​

Kaveh Solhekol
@SkyKaveh


Crystal Palace are working closely and collaboratively with UEFA to end the uncertainty about their place in next season’s Europa League. Palace are in constant communication with UEFA in order to satisfy them that US businessman John Textor does not have decisive influence over the running of the club. Textor owns shares in Palace and Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League, through Eagle Football Holdings. UEFA are believed to be sympathetic to Palace's plight and are working with them to find a solution to the problem. UEFA recognise the benefit of having Palace in the Europa League next season after they qualified by winning the FA Cup - the first major trophy in their history - last month. UEFA want domestic leagues and cups to be competitive and to keep the romance alive of a team like Palace winning the FA Cup and going on to play European football for the first time in their history. Textor is believed to be in talks about selling Eagle Football Holdings. Textor has diluted his shares in Eagle Football and now owns about 55 per cent. Eagle Football owns 43 per cent of Palace and Textor personally has a stake which is now less than 30 per cent in Palace.

It is about how much an individual owns of a club. So I'd say these changes put him well in the clear.

I don't think that is the case tbh. It would be a farce if so.

If Eagle Football Holdings (EFH) own 45% of Palace, and a majority % of Lyon, then the conflict of ownership applies, regardless of who own any specific % of EFH.

If the above argument were sound, then that would clear the way for a single entity to own a controlling stake in Liverpool, Barcelona, PSG and Bayern, so long as that entity was in turn owned by a load of investors with 10% stakes each.

 

[oldboyroy]

My Palace mate says the odds of all this happening before 1st March were calculated at 400/1, and so it’s unfair to blame Parish etc for not seeing it.

Pretty sure Bloom would have done though.

Wonder if our Tony had a bet at those odds

 

[Pavilionaire]

Kieran Maguire just said on SkySportsNews:
- Most appropriate penalty would be a financial penalty to the Nigels.
- Apparently UEFA have no desire for CPFC to be banned from UEFA competition.

What would be the basis for levying a financial penalty?

1. You have satisfied us eventually but you missed the deadline and put us to a lot of trouble so here's a penalty?
2. You haven't satisfied us fully, but we do want to let you in, so here's a financial penalty as a 'slap on the wrist'?
3. We agree the law is ambiguous, we could all go to court over it so let's settle with a "penalty", you can enter the comp and we'll shortly reword our rules?

And if they had a penalty tariff in place for ownership breaches then why not have invoked it last Tuesday?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

They either need to allow multi club ownership or just ban it
Its a nonsense

 

[Mancgull]

How can UEFA be working closely with Palace if UEFA have passed the case onto an independent tribunal to make a decision?

Sounds like a bit of PR to me although if shares have been sold/ diluted, then it does appear that Palace may have met the requirements, albeit not by the deadline.
A fine for being late?

Yes, will be interesting to see what the Forest owner makes of it.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I don't think that is the case tbh. It would be a farce if so.

If Eagle Football Holdings (EFH) own 45% of Palace, and a majority % of Lyon, then the conflict of ownership applies, regardless of who own any specific % of EFH.

If the above argument were sound, then that would clear the way for a single entity to own a controlling stake in Liverpool, Barcelona, PSG and Bayern, so long as that entity was in turn owned by a load of investors with 10% stakes each.

This is what has been bothering me about this new arrangement

 

[Hotchilidog]

How can UEFA be working closely with Palace if UEFA have passed the case onto an independent tribunal to make a decision?

Sounds like a bit of PR to me although if shares have been sold/ diluted, then it does appear that Palace may have met the requirements, albeit not by the deadline.
A fine for being late?

Yes, will be interesting to see what the Forest owner makes of it.

Given the source of the story, this is very much a Palace PR spinned article.

 

[kevo]

Given the source of the story, this is very much a Palace PR spinned article.

Yeah, large dose of salt required.

 

[Mancgull]

Yeah, large dose of salt required.

Does sound like a Beaky penned PR statement. However a dilution of shares to get under the 30% threshold does the job I’d think.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It is no surprise Palace missed UEFA's deadline. From Companies House today:

Eagle Football Holdings Ltd, Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Ltd, Eagle Football Holdings Midco Ltd: 3 companies, John Charles Textor director of all three.

Each company formed on consecutive days 27-29 September 2022. For all 3 - No accounts EVER filed, ACCOUNTS OVERDUE (was 30th June 2024 so they're currently almost 1 year late).

For all 3: Strike-off action started by Companies House, only discontinued on 17 May 2025 after all 3 companies filed their Annual Confirmation Statement on 28 May 2025, these almost 8 months late.

He will get fined for all of the above, but clearly compliance deadlines mean nothing to the man.

 

[drew]

Well I'll do it then.

They can't drop into the conference because of Wolves. Wolves don't own Brondby and won the league cup in 1970 so if palace get kicked out of the europa league the conference place goes to Wolves and Forest take Lyon's spot in Ligue 1.

Thanks but a few pages further on I might ask the question again!!!!

 

[drew]

So who owns the other 45%? would they not need to pass the FA ownership test? surely they are now classed as a significant owner of Palace?

What?

 

[Bozza]

He will get fined for all of the above, but clearly compliance deadlines mean nothing to the man.

Similarly, the penalty area means nothing to their goalkeepers.

 

[drew]

From Kaveh Solhekol (Sky Sports):

"Textor has diluted his shares in Eagle Football and now owns about 55 per cent. Eagle Football owns 43 per cent of Palace and Textor personally has a stake which is now less than 30 per cent in Palace."

Seems unclear as to whether this has been done retrospectively as a last-ditch attempt to appease UEFA in the last week or so, I'd assume so...?

If he has 55% of shares in Eagle Football then he is still in control of that organisation as the majority share holder and unless that organisation has a weird voting structure like Palace he has the final say on everything. Therefore he still has the same influence as he had on Palace before diluting his shareholding!

 

[US Seagull]

Similarly, the penalty area means nothing to their goalkeepers.

Penalty area guidelines, you mean?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Palate cleanser