John Textor, an American businessman, owns a significant portion of Crystal Palace and also has ownership of Lyon, a team that has qualified for the Europa League. This has raised concerns about whether Crystal Palace can participate in European competitions. Forest's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, had to step aside from managing the club last season because he also owns Olympiakos, a Greek team.
Forest has asked UEFA for clarification on the rules and their application to Palace's situation. Palace's bosses recently met with UEFA's Club Financial Control Body in Switzerland to discuss their concerns. They are waiting for a decision from UEFA, which is expected within the next three weeks.
Palace has argued that their executive chairman, Steve Parish, makes all decisions about the club, and John Textor is not involved in these matters. However, UEFA's strict rules may pose a problem for Palace, who may not be able to participate in European football next season.
Forest's situation is also relevant because they may benefit from Palace's potential exclusion from the Europa League. If Palace are unable to compete, Forest could be promoted to the Europa League instead.