Crystal Palace have become one of the Premier Leagueās most ambitious projects. With Oliver Glasner at the helm, the team achieved a landmark victory over Manchester City in the 2025 FA Cup, securing their place in the UEFA Europa League. This success largely came thanks to the offensive prowess of star player Eberechi Eze, who clinched the winning goal. Yet, in a surprising twist, they have been demoted to the UEFA Conference League.
Crystal Palace will not participate in the UEFA Europa League, despite earning their spot by winning the 2024ā25 FA Cup, as reported by Ben Jacobs. The setback arises from a conflict involving their owner, John Textor, who also owns Olympique Lyonnais.
Both clubs secured places in the 2025 UEFA Europa League, but UEFA rules restrict owners from having multiple teams in the same competition. Consequently, the English side will compete in the UEFA Conference League, while the French side maintains its position in the Europa League.
āThe 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 foreseen in Art 5.01 of the UEFA Club Competition Regulations,ā UEFA reported.
Joel Ward of Crystal Palace lifts the FA Cup trophy after his teamās victory during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England.
Moreover, Nottingham Forest, who secured a spot in the UEFA Conference League, will be promoted to the UEFA Europa League. Despite this decision, Crystal Palace still have the option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The exclusion has sparked controversy, especially since just 12 months ago, Girona FC and Manchester City faced a similar situation and both ended up competing in the UEFA Champions League.
see also
What tournaments do the UEFA Europa League champions qualify for?
Why did Olympique Lyonnais get the UEFA Europa League spot over Crystal Palace?
Despite sharing the same ownership, Olympique Lyonnais of Franceās Ligue 1 secured a spot in the UEFA Europa League over English Premier League side Crystal Palace. This decision adheres to the Multi-Club Ownership Rules, which state that the team finishing higher in its respective league claims the coveted European competition berth.
In this case, Lyon clinched sixth place in the French league, outperforming Crystal Palaceās 12th-place finish in the Premier League. The French sideās financial stability came under scrutiny, but the DNCG, Franceās financial watchdog, chose not to relegate the team despite financial issues. Consequently, they retained their position and celebrated their Europa League participation.
