Crystal Palace handed agonising UEFA update on their fate, hanging on to their hopes of playing in the Europa League next season.
There was an announcement this morning that Jon Textor has resigned from leadership positions at Lyon.
UEFA have confirmed they’ve now postponed the assessment of the multi club ownership case involving Palace and Lyon, which is key to deciding what happens, to the FA Cup winners next season.
Textor – who remains chair, CEO and majority owner of Eagle Football Holdings – has confirmed he is stepping back from his day-to-day responsibilities at the French club, who were relegated to Ligue 2, with Michael Gerlinger appointed to the position of CEO and Michele Kang to the position of chair and president.
Lyon has been relegated from France’s top division due to financial irregularities, and they are appealing that decision.
Textor is in the process also of selling a 43% share in Palace to the New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson.
It would appear to suggest that if that relegation is confirmed, that if they stay in the second tier of French football next season, they would definitely not be in Europe, and that would, in theory, leave the path very much clear for Crystal Palace as intended to compete in the Europa League, having won the FA Cup last season.
🚨 🏴 UEFA postponed decision on Crystal Palace’s Europa League spot due to a multi-club ownership with Lyon.
⏰ 🇫🇷 UEFA will wait for the outcome of appeal Lyon made after relegation to Ligue 2.
❌ 🇫🇷 Lyon will be kicked out of the Europa League if relegation is confirmed. pic.twitter.com/qlNf9xMGsu
— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) June 30, 2025
🚨 🇫🇷 Lyon AGREED that they will NOT enter the Europa League if their relegation is confirmed!
❌ 🇫🇷 If Lyon are relegated then:
✅ 🏴 Crystal Palace will stay in the Europa League!
✅ 🇫🇷 Strasbourg will enter the Europa League!
✅ 🇫🇷 RC Lens will enter the Conference League! pic.twitter.com/CsK2oq0quW
— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) June 30, 2025
BREAKING: UEFA confirm they have postponed assessment of multi-club ownership case involving participation of Lyon and Crystal Palace in Europa League 🚨
Lyon agree to be excluded from European competitions next season if they lose appeal against relegation to Ligue 2. pic.twitter.com/1HT3BDbZFE
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 30, 2025
In a statement on Monday, Uefa said: “The CFCB First Chamber has decided to postpone its assessment of the multi-club ownership case involving Olympique Lyonnais and Crystal Palace.
“This postponement relates to Olympique Lyonnais’ compliance with the settlement agreement concluded with the CFCB First Chamber for its breach of the financial sustainability requirements.
“As part of this settlement, Olympique Lyonnais agreed on an exclusion from the 2025/26 UEFA club competitions should the French authority (DNCG) confirm the club’s relegation to Ligue 2.
“Further details on this multi-club ownership case and this settlement agreement will be communicated in due course.”
NFL team owner worth £2.4bn to buy 43% stake in Premier League club to boost European hopes
In an official statement on Eagle Football Group’s website, Textor said: “On a personal level, I am truly looking forward to the reduction of my day-to-day management responsibilities in Europe, so I can focus on markets where we have the full freedom to run our football clubs…to invest, innovate, grow and compete.”
French football’s financial watchdog, the DNCG, upheld a decision to relegate Lyon to Ligue 2 over financial issues last week – which the club is currently appealing. Textor sold his shares in Premier League side Crystal Palace, but revealed in the statement that Eagle are intent on taking control over another English club.
“OL are great hands with Michele, and I will focus on Botafogo, Daring Brussels and our next club in England,” wrote Textor.
Reports media suggest that the US businessman could be interested in a move to buy Sheffield Wednesday, among other targets in England. See more HERE.
John Textor is not a popular man in Lyon.
“He’s an American who’s useless, OL isn’t yours, Textor get lost!”
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) June 29, 2025
How fans reacted as John Textor considers trying to buy another English club
Twitter users gave their reaction with Crystal Palace handed an agonising UEFA update on their Europa League fate as Textor leaves his role at Lyon…
@HLTCO: Whilst this doesn’t categorically suggest that Palace will be dumped out of the Europa League should Lyon win their appeal, it does sort of allude to that outcome. Logically, having done a lot of reading into it, Lyon shouldn’t win an appeal but I fear French football as a whole will worry that relegating them is too damaging for their game and as a result, actively want them reinstated.
@palacefan28: There you go then. Probably no europe. Even if there is europe we now continue to play the waiting game. Cant sign players or extend contracts. Glasner will walk. Hope your all happy #cpfc
@LeeCPDAFC: This decision on Europe has become an absolute farce. It’ll be 7 weeks since winning the FA Cup this weekend yet still we wait. We’ve impatiently waited all through June, told it would be Friday, then Today but now delayed until after Lyon’s appeal. Utter joke. #CPFC
@ben_270707: if we seriously get demoted to conference is anyone that arsed??? probably end up winning the fucking thing😂😂😂 obviously i would love to go europa league and if we don’t then uefa are a bunch of corrupt pricks but worst comes to worst conference ain’t too bad. #CPFC
@TriaNffc: What an utter farce. Teams need to know which competitions they’ll be in next season. At least we know we’re in a European competition regardless, but for #CPFC it could severely impact their transfer window until this gets sorted. Feel for Palace fans, what a shitshow #NFFC
@JamesHo30745586: #CPFC @UEFA you’ve ruined what was a joyous occasion and turned it into a nightmare give yourselves a big pat on the back you spineless wankers ….
@MPE14: If Lyon win their appeal, this could rumble on all summer! How an earth can a club prepare a squad for domestic and European football without knowing?? And makes you think if it wasn’t for Lyon being relegated, looks like we were out! Absolute shambles #cpfc
@MattWatts96: It increasingly feels like our fate is in the hands of the French football authorities which is, quite frankly, terrifying. 😬 #CPFC
@CPFCHQ: UEFA happily taking the path of least resistance here. Lyon almost certainly being relegated makes it an easy decision to keep us in Europe. Any other outcome results in the involvement of CAS which is messy and will take longer than a failed Lyon appeal. #CPFC
@Dazzaedwardo: What a load of fucking bollocks 🙄 It suggests if Lyon don’t win the appeal, we will be ok. If they win it, looks like we could be fucked. Grow a fucking pair @UEFA #cpfc
@NorthyCPFC: UEFA have made an absolute farce of this. Hugely embarrassing for them. They are hoping Lyon stay relegated so the decision gets made for them. We have to sit and wait not being able to make transfers as we don’t know where we stand #CPFC
@Matt_Woody13: This is absolutely ridiculous now. How is the club supposed to do any forward planning at all when it doesn’t know what competitions it will be competing in? #CPFC
@LewisKirby96: At this point, I don’t want European football. The joy has been truly sucked out of it.
@Dan23_92: One of many examples how football has gone to a place where it just feels shit. Palace winning FA Cup is and will remain one of the best days in their history and added reward of Europe should follow but now it’s an admin saga where nobody who may miss out is actually to blame.
