‘Crystal Palace hit with bad news’ after Europa League update – ‘it’s unfair’
Crystal Palace are nervously awaiting a decision on whether they will be allowed to compete in next season’s Europa League.
The Eagles qualified for the competition after winning their first-ever major trophy, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final.
However, Palace’s eligibility came into question due to the fact that owner John Textor also owns a stake in French side Lyon.
Textor has now officially left the South London side in the hope that it will improve the club’s case, but UEFA are yet to announce their final verdict.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Crystal Palace are likely to be hit with “bad news”.
Palace’s Europa League future hinges on Lyon decision
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that if Lyon win their current appeal against relegation to Ligue 2, then Oliver Glasner’s side will be banned from the Europa League.
The French side were provisionally demoted by the DNGC, which oversees the accounts of French professional football clubs, in November last year.
Wyness added that the rules are clear, despite the whole situation being “unfair” on Crystal Palace.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Everybody’s trying to read these tea leaves and you read conflicting stories all the way through.
“I’ve got to believe it is bad news because if Lyon do win this appeal, then I think Palace would be dropped down to the Conference League.
“The basic thing in the end will be the timing that they didn’t file their papers by the 1st of March.
“We all understand that every team still left in the FA Cup at that stage has to look at filing these sorts of papers, which is going to be onerous and I think unfair. But nevertheless, that’s the rules if Palace get done with it.”
‘Crystal Palace interested in Liverpool swap deal’
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Liverpool youngster Ben Doak and are weighing up making a formal move as talk of a swap deal involving Marc Guehi accelerates.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who claims that Palace scouts were tracking the 19-year-old’s progress last season.
The winger impressed on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship, while both Palace and Bournemouth failed with bids for his signature in January.
This comes amid reports that Liverpool could offer Doak to the South London club in a player-plus-cash deal for Guehi, who is at the top of the Reds’ list of targets.
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