New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is going back across the pond for his newest investment.
Johnson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, has agreed to purchase a stake in English soccer club Crystal Palace from American businessman John Textor, the club announced on Monday.
ESPN reported that Johnson is purchasing a 43% stake from Textor as part of a $254 million deal.
“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,” Crystal Palace said in a statement. “We would like to go on record to thank John Textor for his contribution over the past four years and wish him every success for the future.”
Johnson was the U.S. ambassador to the U.K. from 2017 to 2021 during President Donald Trump’s first administration. He previously declared himself a supporter of fellow English club Chelsea and made an unsuccessful bid to purchase Chelsea in 2022.
Crystal Palace’s ownership group also includes other NFL owners in Josh Harris, the Washington Commanders’ principal owner, and David Blitzer, a Commanders minority owner, as well as English businessman Steve Parish.
Crystal Palace won the 2024-25 FA Cup, an annual domestic competition that pits teams across English soccer divisions against one another, and finished 12th in the Premier League table this past season.
The club is now poised to play in the UEFA Europa League. It was potentially in danger of breaching multiclub ownership rules with Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings Group also owning a controlling stake in French club Lyon, which also qualified for the Europa League.
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