Crystal Palace have received a big boost in their hopes to get back into the Europa League by the emergence of an email sent last year by the European Club Association (ECA).
According to The Telegraph, the ECA told numerous multi-club groups in October that the March 1 deadline is flexible, and would allow outstanding issues to be resolved until May 31.
Palace were demoted to the Europa Conference League because they did not resolve multi-club ownership issues by the March 1 deadline.
But now it emerges that the rules are more flexible than UEFA have been letting on, giving them hope to be reinstated to the Europa League.
The South London club insist the deadline has only been applied strictly to them, while other clubs including Chelsea, Barcelona and Aston Villa have all negotiated fines for financial breaches as recently as this month.
American businessman John Textor owns a stake in Palace and French club Lyon. They also qualified for the Europa League.
UEFA’s rules prohibit clubs owned by the same person or entity from competing in the same European tournament to protect competition integrity.
Textor is currently in the process of selling his stake in the Eagles to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. But with the club missing the March 1 deadline, the move came too late to save them from punishment.
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