The Athletic reported that English club Crystal Palace could be excluded from the Europa League, despite qualifying via the FA Cup, due to a suspected conflict of interest related to the club's ownership.
Crystal Palace won the FA Cup after defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the final.
The problem lies with American businessman John Textor, who owns 43% of Crystal Palace's shares. He also owns French club Olympique Lyonnais and Danish club Brøndby.
Under UEFA regulations, two clubs under the same ownership are prohibited from participating in the same European competitions to avoid a conflict of interest.
According to the report, UEFA has opened a formal investigation into the matter and is expected to announce its final decision within two weeks.
If the violation is proven, Crystal Palace, not Lyon, will be excluded from the Europa League. The French club finished seventh in the domestic league, while Palace finished eleventh in the English Premier League, giving Lyon priority to participate.
Olympique Lyonnais has qualified for the Europa League, while Brøndby will participate in the Europa Conference League, placing Crystal Palace in a difficult position.
Crystal Palace claims that Textor only holds 25% of the voting rights, and that CEO Steve Parish is directly responsible for the club's management, which could weaken the argument for a conflict of interest.
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