European war crisis! Crystal Palace may be kicked out of the Europa League, and Brighton may lie in the European arena?!

Who would have thought that a controversy over shareholder structure could change the situation of the Premier League and European war!

According to British media reports, Crystal Palace is about to meet with UEFA to try to ensure that the qualification for European competition will not be deprived of next season.

Although the Eagles are only ranked 12th in the Premier League, they have qualified for the Europa League next season by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. However, the real challenge comes from the club shareholder structure and the restrictions on ownership of UEFA for many clubs.

Focus of controversy: Turkestor's multiple teams hold

U.S. billionaire John Textor is the largest shareholder of Crystal Palace, controlling about 43% of the club's shares through its Eagle Football Group. However, according to the club's disclosure, he only has 25% of the voting rights, which is on par with several other shareholders, and the club's daily operations are under the responsibility of Chairman Steve Parish. The problem is that Textor is also the owner of Ligue 1 powerhouse Lyon, co-owner of Crystal Palace, has also qualified the UEFA Cup with the sixth place in Ligue 1.

According to the relevant rules of the UEFA Club Financial Control Agency (CFCB), if two clubs belonging to the same ownership group advance to the same European competition, there can only be one place, and the priority will be given to the teams with higher rankings in their national leagues. In other words, if Crystal Palace cannot convince UEFA, then this Europa League qualification will likely be awarded to Lyon.

What's even more difficult is that Textor also holds a large stake in the Danish team Brondby, and the team qualified for the European Union (European Cup) with the third place in the Danish Premier League. This means that even if Crystal Palace is kicked out of the Europa League, they cannot be "relegated" to the Europa League, because Brondby is already there.

European war qualifications may fall behind Brighton and the Forest?

If Crystal Palace eventually loses the case, the consequences will not be just a loss of Europa League qualification. It is reported that the Premier League's European quota will be redistributed by then. Nottingham Forest may move from the Europa League to the Europa League, while Brighton is expected to "accidentally get a bargain" to get a European Cup spot and return to the European arena.

At present, if Tekesto wants to circumvent UEFA rules, there are two potential solutions, but it is too late:

Blind Trust: Just as Manchester United, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest have adopted in recent years, shares are temporarily placed in trusts without voting rights. However, the rules stipulate that such operations must be completed before March each year, and the deadline has passed.

Prove that the "actual controller" is not himself: Crystal Palace will emphasize that Textor did not play a decision-making role in the daily management of the club and has no asset sharing or player transaction records with Lyon, hoping to impress UEFA with this.

It is reported that the relationship between Textor and Parrish is tense, and he has always expressed dissatisfaction with the inability to control the club and intends to sell shares in Crystal Palace. UEFA verdict is released within two weeks

Crystal Palace expressed confidence in passing the review, but expected the final ruling to be released within two weeks. For all the clubs involved, this could be a turning point that determines fate.

For fans, this legal game around "equity ownership" and "European war qualification" is also a wonderful "post-match contest".