UEFA to decide Palace’s Europa League fate on Friday

Crystal Palace will learn on Friday whether their historic FA Cup win has earned them a place in next season’s Europa League.

UEFA is set to determine if the Premier League club breached multi-club ownership regulations, which restrict clubs with shared ownership links from competing in the same European competition.

Issues centre on Palace shareholder John Textor, who holds a 43% stake in the club and also has interest in French side Lyon. Lyon, like Palace, qualified for the Europa League.

Although Palace has claimed Textor “has no significant control,” UEFA is reviewing the situation, considering whether there is undue influence via his involvement.

On Monday, in a move seen as potentially decisive, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson agreed to buy Textor’s stake in Palace. That £190 million deal is described as “legally binding.” The sale could satisfy UEFA’s rules if it’s finalised in time.

There was unexpected movement this week when Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial deficiencies. If their drop rules them out of European eligibility, the conflict with Palace could dissolve regardless of ownership.

UEFA’s executive committee is expected to announce a formal decision on Friday evening. If cleared, Palace would compete in a European competition for the first time.