Crystal Palace's historic FA Cup win secures a spot in the Europa League, but complications arise due to their ownership structure. Eagle Football, the majority owner of Crystal Palace (43%), also holds majority stakes in Lyon and other clubs. This multi-club ownership may violate UEFA regulations, which prohibit teams from the same multi-club group participating in the same competition.
UEFA's rules state that no club in a UEFA competition can hold shares in another, nor be involved in management of another club participating in a UEFA competition. While there's a potential workaround by placing Palace shares in a blind trust or convincing UEFA that they don't violate criteria, a March 1 deadline for addressing multi-club issues passed before Palace's FA Cup win.
The situation remains uncertain, with Palace's participation in the Europa League dependent on UEFA's decision and potential actions by Eagle Football.
This isn't Palace's first brush with near-miss European qualification. In 1990-91, they finished third but missed out due to a ban on English clubs following the Heysel disaster.
Despite the ownership issues, Eagle Football's investment has been crucial to Palace's recent success, funding squad overhauls, academy redevelopment, and key managerial appointments. The complex ownership structure though has created tension within the club's boardroom.