Palace at risk of losing European spot as Forest turn up the pressure

Crystal Palace secured European qualification by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City, but their participation is now under threat because one of their major shareholders, John Textor, also holds a stake in Olympique Lyonnais — the French club who have likewise qualified for the Europa League.

Textor, who owns 43% of the London club, met with UEFA officials in Nyon last week to seek a resolution to the issue. However, his proposal to place his Lyon shares in a trust was rejected by European football's governing body, as the deadline for such action had already passed.

Forest, who have qualified for the Conference League, stand to benefit directly if Palace are excluded. The Midlands club would then be promoted to the Europa League.

Their owner, Evangelos Marinakis, also controls Greek side Olympiakos, and previously placed his shares in a trust when both clubs faced the possibility of appearing in the Champions League — a move aimed at complying with UEFA's multi-club ownership rules.

Now, Forest have written formally to UEFA urging a decision on the matter. UEFA is expected to announce its verdict by the end of this month.

Should they be excluded, Palace could appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. For the Londoners, this would have been their first ever appearance in European competition — aside from two matches in the now-defunct Intertoto Cup in 1998.