Crystal Palace finds itself in a very tricky situation. After winning the FA Cup — defeating the mighty Manchester City in the final — they secured a place in the Europa League. At least, that’s how it was supposed to be, but the situation has since become significantly complicated. American businessman John Textor owns 43% of Crystal Palace shares but is also the majority shareholder of Lyon, which also qualified for the Europa League. However, UEFA regulations prohibit clubs with the same owner from participating in its competitions. If the situation weren’t so complex, one solution for the English team would have been to move to the Conference League instead. But that’s also not possible, because Brondby — a club owned by Palace co-owner David Blitzer — will be participating in that competition.Exclusive: A consortium of sport and entertainment executives, which includes the NBA star Jimmy Butler, is expected to make an offer in excess of $200million to purchase Eagle Football’s 43 per cent stake in Palace. #CPFC@TheAthleticFC https://t.co/92uB5GjPwU— Matt Woosnam (@MattWoosie) June 11, 2025 The rules state that in cases where multiple clubs share ownership, priority is given to teams with better league placements. Since Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1, and Brondby finished third in the Danish league, it’s clear that Palace, which finished twelfth in the Premier League, will be the one left out and needs to find a solution. According to the reputable outlet The Athletic, a potential lifeline for Crystal Palace may come from none other than NBA star Jimmy Butler. The Golden State Warriors player is reportedly part of a consortium of sports executives looking to buy the 43% stake in Palace for 200 million dollars.EPL historic season: Five teams – five trophiesThe buyer group is led by former Morgan Stanley executive Behdad Eghbali and lawyer Wajid Mir, who have reportedly been in negotiations with Textor since January regarding the purchase of his shares. Still, Textor would prefer that Palace co-owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris buy out his stake. However, the three parties have not reached an agreement. Blitzer and Harris have the right of first refusal, but their offer didn’t satisfy Textor, who believes that selling the shares would be the easiest way to clear any doubts about Palace’s eligibility to play in the Europa League next season.EPL Recap: Red fury, City’s fall, trophyless Arsenal, UCL war, United’s disgrace and so much moreIn any case, Textor has been looking to sell his stake in the London club for some time. He entered the ownership structure in 2021 by paying 87.5 million pounds, later investing an additional 30 million. Over four years, he failed to acquire more shares to become the majority owner. He clashed with Blitzer and Harris over the direction of the club, and it has long been clear that it was only a matter of time before he left London. He won’t be too sorry to leave, especially since he stands to profit — and let’s not forget that he also holds shares in the aforementioned Lyon, as well as in Botafogo and the Belgian club RWD Molenbeek, which he recently renamed Daring Brussels.##NAJAVA_MECA_8975644##
