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Chelsea and Strasbourg, the two clubs owned byTodd Boehlyand Clearlake Capital, state that arrangements are already set to meet UEFA’s requirements if they both qualify for the same European tournament next season.

According to sources, the French side would be put into a ‘blind trust’ to keep it distinct from its English counterparts, and any potential conflicts, such as board members who have been involved with both sister clubs, have already been resolved.

It would eventually need approval from UEFA, who this season moved Crystal Palace down to the Conference League even though they qualified for the Europa League due to their shared link with Lyon, which violated multi-club ownership regulations.

A possible issue for Chelsea and Strasbourg is that they might not be permitted to engage in transfer activities between themselves during the 2026-27 season. The affiliated clubs have frequently exchanged players in past years.

Chelsea have begun facing difficulties in their quest for Champions League qualification, and may now find themselves in the Europa League or even the Conference League. They are also in the semi-finals of theFA Cup– the victor of which will secure a spot in the Europa League.

Strasbourg are currently ranked eighth in Ligue 1 and have reached the semi-finals of both the Coupe de France and the Conference League. Securing victory in either of these tournaments would grant them entry into the Europa League.

According to UEFA regulations, if a club is banned from European competitions because of violating the rules, the team that finishes below it in the national league would face the consequences.

Strasbourg secured their spot in the Conference League semi-finals on Thursday evening, with theLigue 1defeating Mainz 4-2 on aggregate

Gary O’Neil’s squad will face Rayo Vallecano in the semi-finals, with the victor set to play against eitherCrystal Palaceor Shakhtar Donetsk in the final in Leipzig next month.

If the team from Strasbourg were to claim victory in the Conference League andChelseafinished in sixth place in the Premier League, both teams would secure a spot in next season’sEuropa League.

The UEFA prohibits two clubs under the same ownership from participating in the same European tournament, as the regulatory authority cautioned teams in December that they could be excluded.

According to UEFA regulations, the team that placed lower in their national league would be eliminated from the competition. This occurred this season as Crystal Palace were moved down to the Conference League, whereas Lyon retained their spot in the Europa League.

Strasbourg are currently ranked eighth in Ligue 1, whereas Chelsea hold the sixth position in the Premier League.

After this week’s European matches, it is still feasible for 10 English clubs to secure their spot in continental competitions next year.

Earlier, as many as 11 might have had players reaching for their passports, but that possibility ended withLiverpool‘s elimination from the Champions League.

In that situation, the Reds would need to have ended up outside thePremier LeagueHis European appearances, but managed to qualify for next year’s event by winning the title in Budapest.

Liverpool now rely on their final league standing to progress following their defeat toParis Saint-Germain.

Following the Premier League’s achievement of securing one of UEFA’s two European Performance Spots for the second consecutive year, five clubs from the top division are assured of participating in next season’s Champions League.

Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Aston Villaand Liverpool would secure those positions as things stand.

Chelsea are positioned to qualify for the Europa League, while seventh-placed Brentford have secured a spot in the Conference League.

An eighth European position has been secured, with qualification for the Europa League available to the FA Cup champion.

If either Leeds or Southampton wins at Wembley, both teams will secure a place, whereas a Manchester City victory would result in the seventh-placed team in the Premier League earning the Europa League berth, with the eighth team qualifying for the Conference League.

The same scenario would occur if Chelsea achieve a top-six position in the Premier League and claim the FA Cup.

The success of Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace will play a key role in deciding if there are 10 English teams competing in Europe.

A forest can ensure qualification for the Champions League if they win the Europa League, similar to how Tottenham did last season.

This would result in six English teams qualifying for Europe’s top club competition. The same scenario would apply if Aston Villa won the Europa League while finishing beyond the top six in the league.

Should either of those situations arise, Crystal Palace might have 10 clubs in Europe if they win the Conference League, earning a spot in the Europa League for the following season.

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