So, Crystal Palace won a trophy, great moment, you’d think momentum is on their side. FA Community Shield, beating Liverpool on penalties, 2-2 in normal time. Good mood around the place. That lasted, what, a day? Next thing, they’re out of the Europa League for 2025/26.
Not a loss on the field, no. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled. They're bound for the Conference League instead, and their spot is taken by Nottingham Forest. That's the way UEFA rules operate, strict on who plays where.
Effectively, two clubs can't share the same owner, or an individual who has some influence actually, in the same competition in Europe. John Textor's stuck in the middle here. Founder of Eagle Football Holdings. Has stakes in Lyon, has stakes in Palace. Sixth in Ligue 1 for Lyon got them the Europa League. Palace qualified by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City.
The catch, and timing is everything, is UEFA's deadline. March 1. Multi-ownership clubs had to finalize their arrangements by then. Textor disposed of some of his Palace share in June to Woody Johnson, the New York Jets acquaintance. That's too late. Which means on March 1, he was still exerting influence in both clubs. That's enough to be in breach of the rule.
Palace complained. Claimed it wasn't right, likened themselves to Lyon and Forest. No variation. The panel looked at the paperwork, declared that the rules are as clear as crystal and, if you mess up the deadline, so be it.
Season impact
Conference League is not Europa League. Fewer funds, fewer television cameras, less attraction to players. The fans know it instantly — no great European evenings, just matches against sides most of them don't know the names of. The board will pay the price. Marketing is impacted, recruitment suffers.
Forest, though, get placed straight into the group stage of the Europa League. No qualifiers for them, but straight in. More prize money, more competitive opposition, greater exposure. Could be a heavy pendulum shift for them.
Lesson in off-field error
This whole saga illustrates how on-pitch success can be undone by off-pitch trivialities. UEFA doesn't care if there is no perception of favoritism, they just won't accommodate two clubs with the same person calling the shots in the same competition.
And for Palace, the timing’s a gut punch. One day you’re holding silverware, the next you’re bumped into a third-division competition. Momentum gone, excitement gone, and all for something that had nothing to do with soccer itself.