Palace potentially denied entry to Europa League?

Norbury Old Git said:
For those who would like to remember how we got to this sorry situation after the high of our FA Cup win, here is my take on the situation as simply as possible.

Having won the Cup Palace earned entry into the Europa League. However, Uefa denied our entry due to the Palace majority shareholder, John Textor, owning another club Olympic Lyonnais (OL) which also qualified for this League. This created a conflict of interest which is against their rules on multi club ownership. Uefa had sent out a warning to all teams to ensure that action was taken by 1st March 2025 to ensure that control of each club in a MCO relationship was clearly separated. Palace claim control was already separate but anyway were demoted to the Europa Conference League (subject to an appeal) with Nottingham Forest (Forest) taking their place.

OL qualified by coming 6th on goal difference ahead of in form Racing Strasbourg, a BlueCo team owned by Chelsea’s Tod Boehly. This happened because Strasbourg conceded a goal scored in the 98th minute of their 2-3 goal defeat by relegation threatened Le Harve. The goal was as a result of a penalty conceded by Omobamidele, a player on loan from Forest who had been on the pitch for only a couple of minutes. Had the match been a draw then Strasbourg not Lyon would have qualified for the Europa League. There is no evidence Tod Boehly had made arrangements to separate control by 1st March so Racing losing two winnable matches was something of a blessing!!

Nottingham Forest are owned by Evangelos Marinakis, a business Tycoon, who also owns Greek Champions Olympliakos Piraeus and Rio Ave in Portugal. Forest spent much of the season in the Champions League places and might have achieved a Champions League place along with Olympiakos. This would have required Marinakis to temporarily cede control of one of the two teams which he did for Forest but not within the 1st March deadline. As such he would have had no control of appointments, transfers or sackings until they finished their European campaign. Forest suddenly went into a steep decline getting only 8 points from their last 8 matches and becoming only eligible for a Europa Conference League place rather than the more lucrative Europa League. Marinakis quickly regained his control.

The conflict of interest involving Palace and Lyon no longer applies as Textor has effectively sold his shares in our Club at a healthy profit and temporarily ceded control of Lyon. Lyon has sold a number of players to Forest and gained a European run. Chelsea has regained its Champions League place at the expense of Strasbourg who end up in the Conference League and have recently signed Omobamidele, who effectively cost them a Europa League place, at a £3m discounted price.

Thus so far the winners in this mess are Marinakis whose Olympiakos will make a fortune in Europe and retain his total control over Forest in the Europa League; Tod Boehly who similarly has Chelsea making loads of money and Strasbourg with the bronze medal; Textor whose Lyon avoids relegation, plays in the Europa League and stuffs £190m in his pocket.
The losers are the staff and fans of Strasbourg whose dreams are smashed by some dubious results in their last two matches; the fans of Lyon who have lost some of their best players but still cannot get rid of Textor; everybody at Palace who dreamed of the big high speed breakthrough into Europe but have been left with a ferry ticket; lastly football in general which sees the suspicion of corruption raise its ugly head once again.
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I cannot believe that the English and French media didn't cry foul about the game between Strasbourg and Le Havre it was so obvious something Stank, two days after the game 95% of the youtube clips became unavailable, by i suspect Strasbourg pulling it, obviously no official organisation is going to investigate, nest of vipers spring to mind.
 
The thing I can’t get my head round is how winning a cup competition involving 745 teams from step 10 to the prem is somehow deemed a lesser achievement than finishing 6th in the French league. TBH we had a better season than Arsenal last year, we should be in the champions league!
 
Norbury Old Git said:
For those who would like to remember how we got to this sorry situation after the high of our FA Cup win, here is my take on the situation as simply as possible.

Having won the Cup Palace earned entry into the Europa League. However, Uefa denied our entry due to the Palace majority shareholder, John Textor, owning another club Olympic Lyonnais (OL) which also qualified for this League. This created a conflict of interest which is against their rules on multi club ownership. Uefa had sent out a warning to all teams to ensure that action was taken by 1st March 2025 to ensure that control of each club in a MCO relationship was clearly separated. Palace claim control was already separate but anyway were demoted to the Europa Conference League (subject to an appeal) with Nottingham Forest (Forest) taking their place.

OL qualified by coming 6th on goal difference ahead of in form Racing Strasbourg, a BlueCo team owned by Chelsea’s Tod Boehly. This happened because Strasbourg conceded a goal scored in the 98th minute of their 2-3 goal defeat by relegation threatened Le Harve. The goal was as a result of a penalty conceded by Omobamidele, a player on loan from Forest who had been on the pitch for only a couple of minutes. Had the match been a draw then Strasbourg not Lyon would have qualified for the Europa League. There is no evidence Tod Boehly had made arrangements to separate control by 1st March so Racing losing two winnable matches was something of a blessing!!

Nottingham Forest are owned by Evangelos Marinakis, a business Tycoon, who also owns Greek Champions Olympliakos Piraeus and Rio Ave in Portugal. Forest spent much of the season in the Champions League places and might have achieved a Champions League place along with Olympiakos. This would have required Marinakis to temporarily cede control of one of the two teams which he did for Forest but not within the 1st March deadline. As such he would have had no control of appointments, transfers or sackings until they finished their European campaign. Forest suddenly went into a steep decline getting only 8 points from their last 8 matches and becoming only eligible for a Europa Conference League place rather than the more lucrative Europa League. Marinakis quickly regained his control.

The conflict of interest involving Palace and Lyon no longer applies as Textor has effectively sold his shares in our Club at a healthy profit and temporarily ceded control of Lyon. Lyon has sold a number of players to Forest and gained a European run. Chelsea has regained its Champions League place at the expense of Strasbourg who end up in the Conference League and have recently signed Omobamidele, who effectively cost them a Europa League place, at a £3m discounted price.

Thus so far the winners in this mess are Marinakis whose Olympiakos will make a fortune in Europe and retain his total control over Forest in the Europa League; Tod Boehly who similarly has Chelsea making loads of money and Strasbourg with the bronze medal; Textor whose Lyon avoids relegation, plays in the Europa League and stuffs £190m in his pocket.
The losers are the staff and fans of Strasbourg whose dreams are smashed by some dubious results in their last two matches; the fans of Lyon who have lost some of their best players but still cannot get rid of Textor; everybody at Palace who dreamed of the big high speed breakthrough into Europe but have been left with a ferry ticket; lastly football in general which sees the suspicion of corruption raise its ugly head once again.
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Very good post. However you did omit to say that the Forest player on loan has now signed permanently for Strasbourg
 
Lanzo-Ad said:
I cannot believe that the English and French media didn't cry foul about the game between Strasbourg and Le Havre it was so obvious something Stank, two days after the game 95% of the youtube clips became unavailable, by i suspect Strasbourg pulling it, obviously no official organisation is going to investigate, nest of vipers spring to mind.
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The video is available on YouTube.Unfortunately UK users are blocked from showing this on this site. Go to YouTube and search for RC STRASBOURG ALSACE - HAVRE AC Week 34.

It needs to be more widely seen.
 
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It doesn't look a competitive game to me. It looks like a carefully orchestrated kick around. They, (both teams), are obviously not amateurs at staging results.
 
crvenaeagle said:
But I thought it was Eagle Holdings that has the 43%, of which Textor owns 51%?
I'm paraphrasing so that may not be totally correct.
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Yes so in terms of ownership it’s Eagle Holdings which is in breach of the rules. Textor controls Eagle Holdings with his 51% though so he is the person who potentially has control of both clubs. The rules don’t mention any percentage but UEFA use 30% ownership as their ‘rule of thumb’. 30% ownership normally means 30% control but in Eagle Holddings/Textors case they only have 25% control (which is not control at all since Parish has the deciding vote in all matters.
 
JTinOffchurch said:
Whether winning the appeal or not, and having experienced the CPFC ups and downs and ups again, for over 70 years, there is a quotation that has helped and encouraged me to better things:
"I (CPFC) know you all (UEFA) and will awhile uphold the unyok'd humour of your idleness; yet herein will I imitate the sun who doth permit the base contagious clouds to smother up his beauty from the world, that when he please again to be himself, being wanted, he may be more wondered at by breaking through the foul and ugly mists of vapours that did seem to strangle him." (Shakespeare, Henry IV, Act 1, Scene 2)

Let's take what we get and attempt to WIN IT and let all Europe wonder at us!
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.... and we all know what happened to the French when Prince Hal came into his own.
 
maddog said:
Yes so in terms of ownership it’s Eagle Holdings which is in breach of the rules. Textor controls Eagle Holdings with his 51% though so he is the person who potentially has control of both clubs. The rules don’t mention any percentage but UEFA use 30% ownership as their ‘rule of thumb’. 30% ownership normally means 30% control but in Eagle Holddings/Textors case they only have 25% control (which is not control at all since Parish has the deciding vote in all matters.
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He insisted (and signed something to say) he had 0% control.
 
Weren't Lyon provisionally relegated in November 2024 aswell? So surely on the basis that they were "relegated" there should have been no need to put any shares into a trust even if there was "controlling" interest.

Or am I wrong? They could still qualify for Europe even if relegated?
 
eaglesdare said:
Weren't Lyon provisionally relegated in November 2024 aswell? So surely on the basis that they were "relegated" there should have been no need to put any shares into a trust even if there was "controlling" interest.

Or am I wrong? They could still qualify for Europe even if relegated?
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This is my point too. If Lyon were allowed to solve their problems after they qualifyed, why can’t Palace sort out whatever problems UEFA think we have afterwards too (presumably Textor removing himself from the Palace Board).
 
Common Sense Club said:
This is my point too. If Lyon were allowed to solve their problems after they qualifyed, why can’t Palace sort out whatever problems UEFA think we have afterwards too (presumably Textor removing himself from the Palace Board).
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It’s hard to know what it is behind UEFA,s decision making, much of the time they make it up to suit their position in any circumstance.
This is corruption, not open financial corruption, but the corruption of their own rules. It’s a corruption of the ethic of sporting fair play. Play by the rules ,is what makes sport the great equaliser it can be. On multiple occasions they have assisted clubs in corrupting their own rules, just not on this occasion.
 
chris123 said:
Once more unto the breach ?
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dear friends, once more. In peace, nothing becomes a man as modesty stillness and humility but when the blast of war blows in his ears .... well you know the rest. Will this be our Honfleur moment at CAS as waiting for St. Crispin's day is too far off (25 October).

I am also moved by our Aragorn (SP) "There may come a time when the hearts of CPFC fans shall fail; but it is not this Day". Was it ever thus for us CPFC fans?
 
whatton said:
The video is available on YouTube.Unfortunately UK users are blocked from showing this on this site. Go to YouTube and search for RC STRASBOURG ALSACE - HAVRE AC Week 34.

It needs to be more widely seen.
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I have seen it a few times, and i cant believe what i am watching, i would say 2/3 players knew what was happening.
 
Lanzo-Ad said:
I have seen it a few times, and i cant believe what i am watching, i would say 2/3 players knew what was happening.
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Every Palace fan could do worse than to post this game online with a question mark against the result. The power of social media and the speed of its spread should not be underestimated.
 
So i've seen a lot about protesting and I'm all for it but wonder if there's something we can do more virtually.

So here is the list of individuals of which 3 will be the abritrators reviewing our case: List of arbitrators (football list)

There's 171 on there I think we can filter this list down a bit more into English speaking and European based which gets us down to 97. Is it worth composing an email we can send to each of the 97 on behalf of all fans as a fans group outlining essentially the points that Steve Parish raised on Sky Sports and asking for proportionality to be considered and that effectively it is the team and fans who are getting punished by an off the field technicality through which no sporting advantage was gained nor could it ever be gained and this is against spirit of football. Probably make no difference but nice to get in their heads even a little bit.

Thoughts?
 
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