Overview
- UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body determined John Textor’s combined stakes in Palace and Lyon exceeded the 30% threshold, demoting Palace to the 2025–26 Conference League.
- Nottingham Forest, initially drawn into the Conference League playoff round, will replace Palace in the Europa League if the Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds UEFA’s ruling.
- Textor agreed to sell his 43.9% stake in Palace to Woody Johnson in July, and the transaction is awaiting Premier League approval.
- The ruling reflects UEFA’s tightened Article 5 deadline of March 1 for resolving multi-club ownership conflicts, following similar exclusions of Drogheda United and Győri ETO.
- Palace chairman Steve Parish criticized the decision as unjust and emphasized that the sale and appeal will eliminate any potential conflict of interest before competition begins.