Crystal Palace’s Europa League Hopes Dealt Blow After Lyon Win Relegation Appeal

Crystal Palace’s hopes of playing successful adjacent season’s Europa League look to person been dealt a awesome rustle aft Lyon overturned their relegation to Ligue 2.

The seven-time French champions’ demotion complete financial issues was imposed past period by nan country’s shot watchdog, nan DNCG. But Lyon, who are owned by John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings, person earned a reprieve aft an entreaty proceeding successful Paris connected Wednesday and are expected to return up their spot successful adjacent season’s Europa League aft finishing sixth past season.

The French shot federation said successful a connection that nan determination by nan DNCG’s entreaty committee “invalidates nan administrative relegation” and allowed for Lyon’s costs measure and transportation walk to beryllium monitored.

That is apt to person a awesome ramifications connected Uefa’s determination connected whether Palace, who qualified for nan Europa League by winning nan FA Cup, will beryllium cleared to participate successful Europe aft a ruling was delayed past week pending nan result of Lyon’s appeal.

Clubs are barred from competing successful nan aforesaid Uefa title if an individual aliases ownership group is considered to person a decisive power complete much than 1 of those teams. Textor remains Palace’s largest shareholder but nan US businessman precocious agreed a woody to waste his Palace shares to nan New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson. The erstwhile US ambassador to nan UK must walk nan Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ trial earlier he tin complete nan acquisition but it is understood that is nearing completion.

Uefa sources person indicated that its Club Financial Control Body , which investigates alleged breaches of its multi-club ownership rules, is owed to determine connected Palace’s destiny this week. With Lyon, who were fined €12.5m (£10.8m) by Uefa for a breach of financial sustainability requirements past week, having been cleared by Uefa to play successful European title if they were reinstated to France’s apical flight, Palace’s prospects of joining Aston Villa arsenic nan Premier League’s representatives successful nan title won by Tottenham past play look slim.

There is simply a chance that they could beryllium demoted to nan Conference League, pinch Nottingham Forest taking Palace’s spot successful nan Europa League.

Palace, who person ne'er played successful a awesome European competition, are expected to entreaty to nan tribunal of arbitration for athletics if they are barred from nan Europa League. Last period Uefa rejected attempts from Textor and his Palace co-owner David Blitzer, nan mostly shareholder astatine Danish broadside Brøndby, to put their shares successful a unsighted spot aft they missed nan 1 March deadline.

Textor announced past week that he had resigned from his activity roles astatine Lyon, pinch Michael Gerlinger appointed arsenic nan main executive and Michele Kang – who owns Washington Spirit and London City Lionesses and bought Lyon’s highly successful women’s squad from Eagle Football Holdings past twelvemonth – arsenic nan chair and president. She is understood to person led Lyon’s appeal, pinch reports successful France saying nan nine person agreed connected an “austerity plan” designed to stabilise its finances aft being asked to inject up to €200m to support nan nine successful Ligue 1.

Kang was pictured gathering nan French sports minister, Marie Barsacq, connected Tuesday evening successful a move wide interpreted arsenic a affirmative motion earlier their hearing.

The nine said successful a statement: “Olympique Lyonnais welcomes today’s determination from nan DNCG which restores our position successful Ligue 1 and is grateful that nan entreaty committee recognises nan ambition of nan club’s caller guidance to guarantee a professionalised management of its affairs going forward.”