Why Palace got booted from Europe and Girona didn’t? | OneFootball

Crystal Palace’s European adventure hit a major roadblock recently after UEFA ruled they couldn’t take part in the Europa League next season. The reason? They failed to meet the governing body’s rules around multi-club ownership.

The Eagles qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup, a huge achievement for the club. But their joy was short-lived, as it emerged that investor John Textor, who has stakes in both Palace and French side Lyon, breached UEFA’s regulations designed to stop the same person or group controlling multiple clubs in the same European competition. Lyon kept their European place after successfully appealing against relegation in Ligue 1, so both teams qualified and that’s where the problem arose.

Palace now face a downgrade to the Europa Conference League while they consider taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But the whole situation has left fans scratching their heads, especially since clubs like Manchester City and Girona, both part of the City Football Group (CFG), were allowed to compete in the Champions League last season without issue.

So, what’s the difference?

The key lies in how CFG managed their ownership. Girona, who had a brilliant La Liga season and qualified for the Champions League, are owned in part by CFG, too. But to satisfy UEFA’s rules, CFG put their shares in Girona into a “blind trust” managed independently, meaning they don’t have direct control or influence over the club during the European campaign. This structure met UEFA’s strict requirements, allowing both Girona and Man City to compete in the same tournament without conflict.

Textor, on the other hand, didn’t do the same for Palace. UEFA required clubs in his position to take similar steps by March 1st to comply. Palace only found out they’d qualified for Europe on May 17th, too late to make the necessary changes.

This season, UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules have caused headaches already. In Ireland, Drogheda United were kicked out of the Conference League because their owners also control Danish side Silkeborg. An appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was rejected, setting a precedent that left Palace with little wiggle room.

Take Evangelos Marinakis, for example - the man behind both Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos. With both clubs pushing for a Champions League spot last season, they ran the risk of falling foul of UEFA’s rules, which block two clubs under the same ownership from playing in the same competition.

To avoid that headache, Marinakis stepped back from his role at Forest. He put his stake into a blind trust, meaning he no longer counts as someone with significant control over the club - at least in UEFA’s eyes. It’s a legal workaround that keeps both clubs eligible without breaching the rules.

What’s next for Crystal Palace?

Interestingly, there’s debate over how much influence John Textor actually has at Palace. Chairman Steve Parish has insisted Palace aren’t part of a multi-club ownership group despite Textor’s involvement.

The Premier League side will now have to settle for the Europa Conference League while the legal battle plays out. It’s a complicated mess that highlights how tricky regulating multi-club ownership has become in modern football - especially when investors have stakes in several clubs across Europe.