Several football clubs with the same ownership structure under UEFA scrutiny

UEFA is facing pressure to delay the deadline for the separation of ownership structures, after a turbulent summer during which several clubs, including Crystal Palace, were denied access to European competitions for breaking rules on multiple club ownership, reports the Guardian.

Several smaller clubs within the multi-club ownership system are understood to be lobbying UEFA to extend the deadline, currently set for 1 March, by which they must prove compliance with the rules. Clubs are not allowed to compete in the same competition if the same person is deemed to have decisive influence over both clubs. Crystal Palace were controversially found to be in breach of the "MCO" rule because their then-largest shareholder, John Textor, also had a controlling stake in Lyon. Both teams qualified for the Europa League, but Palace were eventually relegated to the Conference League, where they began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Fredrikstad in the first leg of their play-offs on Thursday.

Any change UEFA might make would mean reversing last year's decision to bring the deadline forward from June 1 to March 1. Crystal Palace believe that this change was crucial to their success, having qualified for Europe by winning the FA Cup in May, and argue that at the start of March, when European qualification still seemed unlikely, they were not in a position to meet the requirements by that deadline. However, UEFA's club financial control body rejected that argument and their decision was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Irish club Drogheda and Slovakian club Dunajska Streda also broke the rules, and were banned from Europe altogether after being promoted to the Conference League along with their affiliated clubs. Several sources at management and ownership level agree that changes are necessary to avoid the confusion that has arisen this year. Discussions on this are still ongoing behind closed doors, although the nature of a possible solution is not yet clear.

Ironically, another argument against the March 1 deadline stems from the case of Nottingham Forest, who profited from the London club's problems, being relegated to the Europa League instead, after they submitted strong legal arguments to UEFA and CAS.