18-07-2025, 09:14 AM
Hmm - this could throw a spanner in the works.
Crystal Palace’s case to be reinstated to the Europa League has been boosted by the emergence of an email sent last year by the association of clubs that runs European football with Uefa.
The European Club Association (ECA) told several multi-club ownership groups in October that the March 1 deadline, which has been used to eject Crystal Palace from the Europa League, was not set in stone.
In the email, the ECA, which is run by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, said that Uefa would allow outstanding issues to be resolved up to May 31.
Uefa announced last week that Palace were to be demoted from the Europa League because they did not resolve multi-club ownership issues relating to former shareholder John Textor, by a deadline of March 1. Uefa’s club financial control body, has been adamant that the deadline, moved earlier for this season only, is sacrosanct. However, there is mounting evidence that is not the case.
The ECA negotiates the distribution of all revenue from Uefa club competitions, with discussions between Al-Khelaifi and Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin about who earns what from the most lucrative competitions in football. As a consequence, when the ECA advises clubs on Uefa policy, as in this October 25 email, member clubs can assume that the governing body’s position is being outlined.
Crystal Palace’s case to be reinstated to the Europa League has been boosted by the emergence of an email sent last year by the association of clubs that runs European football with Uefa.
The European Club Association (ECA) told several multi-club ownership groups in October that the March 1 deadline, which has been used to eject Crystal Palace from the Europa League, was not set in stone.
In the email, the ECA, which is run by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, said that Uefa would allow outstanding issues to be resolved up to May 31.
Uefa announced last week that Palace were to be demoted from the Europa League because they did not resolve multi-club ownership issues relating to former shareholder John Textor, by a deadline of March 1. Uefa’s club financial control body, has been adamant that the deadline, moved earlier for this season only, is sacrosanct. However, there is mounting evidence that is not the case.
The ECA negotiates the distribution of all revenue from Uefa club competitions, with discussions between Al-Khelaifi and Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin about who earns what from the most lucrative competitions in football. As a consequence, when the ECA advises clubs on Uefa policy, as in this October 25 email, member clubs can assume that the governing body’s position is being outlined.