A decision from UEFA on whether Crystal Palace can compete in the Europa League next season has been delayed.
Palace had hoped for clarity on the situation on Friday, but Standard Sport understands the decision has now been postponed until Monday at the earliest.
The Eagles are awaiting the result from an investigation by UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), which is a panel that operates independently from European football’s governing body.
Palace qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup, but their place in the competition is at risk because of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.
UEFA regulations state that no individual can have decisive “control” over two clubs competing in the same European competition.
The American businessman John Textor owns a majority share in French side Lyon and a 43 per cent stake in Crystal Palace through his Eagle Football Holdings.
Textor this week reached an agreement to sell his share in Palace to fellow American Woody Johnson, and that sale is to be approved by the Premier League and Women’s Super League (WSL).
Textor has never had a decisive say over decisions at Palace, because he, chairman Steve Parish and fellow co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer have always each held 25 per cent voting rights, with Parish the club’s day-to-day decision-maker and operator.
That is what Textor and Parish explained to UEFA officials at a meeting at the organisation’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland earlier this month, pleading Palace’s case to be allowed to compete in next season’s Europa League. A decision from the CFCB is now due next week.
Textor could have placed his shares in one of Palace or Lyon into a blind trust to ensure that both clubs could compete in the Europa League, but he missed the deadline to do so.
Lyon were this week relegated to the French second division due to poor finances, which puts their own involvement in the Europa League into major doubt. The club said they have appealed the decision.
Palace know they could be demoted to compete in the Conference League if the CFCB rules against their involvement in the Europa League, although they, too, could appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
