Crystal Palace Face European Uncertainty: What it Means for Premier League Places

Over recent days, it was announced that Crystal Palace’s Europa League spot, could be stripped off them. This puts the Eagles' European dreams in jeopardy, and will leave two Premier League clubs waiting in the wings to potentially benefit from the situation.

Palace minority owner, John Textor, is doing what he can in order to satisfy UEFA to allow his side to compete in the 2025-26 Europa League, alongside his other club, French outfit Lyon. Crystal Palace are going to have to wait until the end of June, however, for the verdict, to find out whether or not they will be granted permission to compete in the Europa League for the upcoming season.

🚨🦅 CRYSTAL PALACE COULD BE KICKED OUT OF EUROPE!

UEFA rules say clubs with the same owner can’t play in the same competition.

🟠Nottingham Forest move up to EUL
🟢Brighton get UECL spot

🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Lyon & Palace both qualified for the Europa League — but Lyon finished higher so are… pic.twitter.com/CuBwAcZJef

— UEFA Obscura (@UEFAObscura) June 3, 2025

Why Might Crystal Palace Be Kicked Out of Europe?

Despite finishing the Premier League season in 12th, the Eagles qualified for the Europa League after winning the FA Cup, their first major trophy in history. However, they now find themselves with an issue ownership-wise, which could result in them being escorted out of Europe altogether.

This is because Textor has a 90% stake in Lyon, alongside his 45% stake in Palace. UEFA rules that owners are unable to have control of multiple clubs who are in the same competition. Similar events occurred last campaign, when both Manchester City and Girona and Manchester United and Nice were able to compete in both the Champions League and Europa League, respectively.

🤯 Crystal Palace’s Europa League place in doubt

UEFA have rejected offers from Crystal Palace shareholders John Textor and David Blitzer to put their shares in a blind trust to ensure the club can compete in Europe

We all want Palace in Europe get a grip UEFA! 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/32RkqrXacg

— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) June 5, 2025

The owners were able to get around these rules put in place by UEFA, by using third-party independent trustees as ‘blind trusts’, placing their shares in these during this time, bypassing UEFA’s rulebook. Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, did a similar thing earlier on this season, when there was a strong potential that both Forest and his other club, Greek side Olympiakos, would both qualify for the Champions League.

Textor is hopeful that Palace have done enough to satisfy UEFA in regard to this rule, because he claims he does not run Palace, but co-owner and chairman Steve Parish does. He has even more recently tried to sell his Palace shares, as he wanted to buy Everton.

The 2025 FA Cup winners will have to wait until the end of the month to find out their fate, and although they are confident that they have done enough to be able to compete in Europe next season, let us take a look at the beneficiaries if the Eagles are not so lucky.

What Does Palace Being Denied European Football Mean to Other Clubs?

Nottingham Forest

Firstly, with Palace getting booted out of European competition, it would mean their Europa League spot would transfer down to the next available suitor- in this case, Nottingham Forest’s Conference League place would be upgraded to a Europa League spot.

This would equate as a happy ending for many Forest fans, who were quite rightly upset with the fact that they only made Europe’s third-tier competition and not either of the big two that many spectators felt like they deserved.

It would also mean a return to the same European competition which they were last in, in the 1995-96 season. This is not the only club this decision would benefit, however.

The three most improved teams from a season ago 👀

Forest became the first Premier League team ever to double their points total from the previous campaign 🌳📈 pic.twitter.com/OSzNRleFI0

— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) June 2, 2025

Brighton & Hove Albion

As per the remaining spots for Europe , the last European slot, which was originally taken by Forest, would now drop down to eighth, and therefore gift Brighton with a return to European football.

This would mean that because of Brighton’s excellent run-in form, they would achieve this final spot, leaving sides who were in this position for much of the campaign, like Bournemouth, with a very sour taste in their mouth.

It would also result in an incredibly successful season for 32-year-old Seagulls manager, Fabian Hurzeler, to achieve European football in his first season coaching in the Premier League.

However, for now we must wait and keep our eyes peeled on this decision by UEFA. Following on from their miraculous Wembley success over Manchester City, it would be a cruel twist of fate should The Eagles be ousted.