Crystal Palace dealt huge Europa League blow as Lyon relegation overturned following appeal | OneFootball

The French giants are now expected to keep their Europa League place

Lyon have been successful in their appeal against their relegation from Ligue 1, in a potential blow to Crystal Palace’s hopes of playing in the Europa League next season.

UEFA rules on multi-club ownership prevent two teams with the same ownership from playing in the same competition.

FA Cup winners Palace are facing the threat of expulsion from the Europa League because co-owner John Textor also owns a majority stake in Ligue 1 side Lyon.

Crystal Palace qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup

AP

Palace argue that Textor does not hold any decisive influence at Selhurst Park and he last month agreed to sell his 43 per cent stake in the club to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson in a deal thought to be worth close to £190million. Textor also last month resigned from his position on the Lyon board.

But Palace missed the March deadline to change their ownership structures to comply with UEFA multi-club ownership rules.

Palace now face a nervous wait for a UEFA ruling. They will almost certainly launch a legal fight against any decision to ban them from the Europa League next season.

A Lyon statement said: “Olympique Lyonnais completed the financial sustainability procedure and signed an agreement with the UEFA Club Financial Control Body.

“The club could therefore participate in next season's Europa League, subject to a favorable outcome of the appeal of the DNCG decision.

“OL would like to thank the UEFA representatives who assisted it in this process.”