‘John Textor abandons Crystal Palace plan in hasty exit bid over UEFA nightmare’
John Textor has given up on hopes of taking control at Crystal Palace’s after his ownership at Lyon threw the club’s European qualification into doubt.
Against all odds, Oliver Glasner led the Eagles to victory over Man City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, taking the glory through a single goal from Tottenham-linked superstar Eberechi Eze.
The victory booked the club’s spot in the Europa League for the 2025/26 campaign despite finishing all the way down in 12th in the Premier League table, 13 points off the qualification spot.
Textor had previously attempted to sell his stake at Selhurst Park in order to purchase Everton from Farhad Moshiri, only for a deal to collapse and The Friedkin Group to emerge as the new owners.
His ongoing involvement with his current Premier League club could cause considerable issues, however, and the part-owner is now taking action to avoid a total nightmare for the Eagles.
John Textor puts Crystal Palace shares up for sale
According to the Daily Mail (3 June), Textor has abandoned his plan to increase his stake at Selhurst Park, attempting to buy out his fellow owners for a bigger share, more than his current 25 per-cent.
This is due to his involvement putting Palace at serious risk of being booted out of the Europa League next season, with Lyon also set to compete in the competition, a team he has control over through his company Eagle Football.
UEFA rules on multi-club ownership have cast doubt over the Eagles’ journey into Europe, and now the 59-year-old is attempting to offload his shares following crunch talks between the governing body and Palace officials in Switzerland.
There reportedly remains the possibility that Palace could drop down into the Europa Conference League to avoid the clash with Lyon, but that presents its own issues as Textor’s fellow Palace part-owner David Blitzer owns Danish side Brondby, who may be on course for the third-tier competition.
Oliver Glasner desperate to bring European football to Selhurst Park
Football Insider verdict
While there is plenty of time for the current challenges to be overcome, Textor found it incredibly difficult to sell his shares at Selhurst Park up to this point, when taking an interest in the Toffees and previously.
A similar situation has now occurred, with his links to Lyon causing tremendous issues for the Eagles ahead of next season, and it is certainly no easy fix given the money involved in selling his shares.
Being unable to play in Europe next season would not just be a massive shame for those in South London, but it could also play a huge factor in the club’s summer transfer window.
Eze is already being heavily linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, with Football Insider also understanding that defender Marc Guehi has snubbed Tottenham in favour of a move to Liverpool.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Tyrick Mitchell, Dean Henderson, and Adam Wharton could all potentially depart Palace this summer, and that becomes far more likely if European football disappears.
It could also trigger Glasner to leave Palace amid interest from across Europe, so unless Steve Parish wants a snowball effect this summer, he needs Textor to find a buyer, and quickly.