American billionaire and New York Jets co-owner, Woody Johnson, has signed a deal to purchase a 43% stake in English football club Crystal Palace, a move that could potentially clear the path for the London side to participate in the UEFA Europa League next season.
The stake was previously held by fellow American businessman John Textor, who also owns a controlling interest in French club Olympique Lyonnais. Both Palace and Lyon secured qualification for the 2025/26 Europa League, but UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership threatened to bar Palace from the competition.
The regulation states that two clubs under shared ownership cannot compete in the same European tournament, and Lyon, having finished higher in Ligue 1 than Palace did in the Premier League, held the edge under these rules.
Crystal Palace made history in May by winning the FA Cup—defeating Manchester City in the final—to claim their first major trophy and secure European qualification for the first time.
Johnson’s takeover, reportedly worth £190 million ($255 million), was confirmed in a statement by the club on Monday. The transaction, while still pending approval from the Premier League and the Women’s Super League, is expected to proceed without complications. Once finalized, Johnson will become a director and co-owner of the South London club.
A former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom and a known political ally of Donald Trump, Johnson is a member of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical family and was estimated to be worth $9.2 billion as of 2024, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He previously attempted to purchase Chelsea Football Club in 2022 but was unsuccessful.
John Textor, who joined Crystal Palace’s ownership group in 2021, also owns stakes in Brazilian club Botafogo and Belgian side RWD Molenbeek. His multi-club holdings have come under increased scrutiny from UEFA as European competitions approach.
UEFA is expected to issue a final decision on Crystal Palace’s eligibility for the Europa League before the end of June.
AFP
