Chelsea and Aston Villa have been fined by Uefa for breaching the European governing body’s financial rules. competitions for the forthcoming season unless they have a positive transfer balance by the end of the summer transfer window. Chelsea have been fined 31m euros (£26.7m) and could be fined a further 60m euros (£51.2m) if they do not comply with the rules in the next four years.
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A decision on whether Crystal Palace can compete in next season’s Europa League has been delayed by Uefa. The Eagles’ place, earned by winning the FA Cup last season, has been under threat because of Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules, which prevents teams under the same ownership from competing in the same European competition. Co-owner John Textor, who also co-owns French club Lyon, has agreed to sell his 44% stake in Palace in a bid to help their case.
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Seven-time French champions Lyon, owned by American businessman John Textor, have been relegated to the second tier of French football due to the club’s financial problems, the French Professional League announced on Tuesday evening. Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 and reached the quarterfinals of the Europa League last season, plan to appeal the decision in the hopes of retaining their top flight status.
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Crystal Palace’s hopes of playing in Europe next season appear to have been boosted after shareholder John Textor sold his stake in the club to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. Textor’s shares in Palace threatened to be an obstacle to their participation in the Europa League next season because the American is a shareholder in French side Lyon, who are set to enter the same competition.
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Goalkeepers who waste time by holding on to the ball are to be penalised with the award of a corner, the law-making International Football Association Board (Ifab) has confirmed. The new law, which will be introduced this summer, will mean goalkeepers have eight seconds to claim and redistribute the ball before they are penalised, with the referee giving a five-second countdown to warn them of incoming punishment.
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