Crystal Palace have been ‘demoted’ to the Conference League – with Nottingham Forest to take their Europa League slot.
In a devastating blow for the FA Cup winners, UEFA have confirmed that Palace will drop from the second tier European competition to the third after breaching its rules on multi-club ownership.
Palace officials are understood to be furious with the decision, and intend to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
CAS have the ability to fast-track cases, and would no doubt do so in this instance.
However, last month they upheld UEFA’s decision to kick Drogheda United out of the Conference League under multi-club ownership rules.
As is the case with Palace, the Irish side missed UEFA’s March 1 deadline to make changes to ownership or executive structure to navigate any issues. CAS ruled that the March 1 deadline – also missed by Palace – was fair and had been communicated.
Palace’s majority owners were Eagle Football Holdings, a group owned by US businessman John Textor. The group owns French side Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.
Rules state that, in cases of multi-club ownership where two teams qualify for the same competition, only one can take part. That place goes to the club which finished higher in its domestic league.
Lyon ended in sixth, while Palace were 12th.
Subject to a CAS appeal Forest, who were due to compete in the Conference League after finishing in seventh, will now take the spot with UEFA rules stating that ‘a club that is not admitted to the competition is replaced by the next-best-placed club in the top domestic championship of the same association’.
Mail Sport revealed last month that Palace officials were to jet to UEFA HQ in Switzerland to plead their case with their place in the Europa League under serious threat.
They argued that, as Textor held only 25 per cent of voting rights, he was not in a position of influence at Selhurst Park. They were given hope when Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2 for financial breaches.
However, Lyon were successful in their appeal earlier this week, and now UEFA have confirmed the decision.
A UEFA statement said that proceedings were opened against Palace and Lyon ‘due to a potential conflict with the multi-club ownership rule’.
It added that their financial controls they assessed documentation submitted at the March 1 deadline and concluded there was a breach of the rule.
‘For this reason, and in accordance with the provisions set out in UEFA Club Competitions Regulations, the Club Financial Control Body decided to accept Lyon’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League; and to reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League and to accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League.
‘The present decision may be appealed against before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.’
