John Textor exits Crystal Palace. The American businessman has reached an agreement to sell his 43% stake to Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets. If the deal is approved by the Premier League and Women’s Super League, the deal is expected to raise around €200m for Eagle’s chairman. A significant capital gain for Textor, whose purchase of shares in August 2021 originally cost around €100m.
“Crystal Palace Football Club can confirm that Robert Wood Johnson, “Woody”, an American businessman and co-owner of the New York Jets, has signed a legally binding contract to purchase Eagle Football’s holding in the Club.”
“Whilst the completion is pending approval from the Premier League and Women’s Super League, we do not envisage any issues and look forward to welcoming Woody as a partner and director of the club,” stated the London club this monday.
What’s left for Textor and what’s next for him?
Textor’s withdrawal from Crystal Palace however doesn’t mean the end of its football-related activities. For the record, the American, via his investment vehicle Eagle Football Holdings, remains the majority owner of Botafogo (90%), OL (87.81%) and Rading Brussels (100%).
In 2008, he also founded FC Florida, a football academy based in the United States with the aim of “providing young men and women a pathway to a great college education”.
But Textor’s ambition knows no bounds. For while he may have left the Eagles’ nest, his desire to establish himself in England has not wavered. His attempt to buy Everton last year is proof of that.
And even though the attempt was unsuccessful due to the intervention of the Friedkin Group (which bought 98.8 per cent of the club’s shares for nearly €500m), the 59-year-old hasn’t said his last word yet. And it’s now to the Championship that he could turn, where his name might soon be associated with several clubs. A necessity for Textor, who hopes to see his company introduced on the stock market very soon.
