South London club argues ownership ruling is flawed and seeks reinstatement ahead of August deadline.
However determined UEFA might appear, Crystal Palace are refusing to accept their dramatic relegation from the Europa League without a fight.
The Premier League side have confirmed that they have lodged an official appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), challenging the governing body’s decision to demote them to the Europa Conference League (UECL) for breaching multi‑club ownership regulations.
Moreover, the appeal is pointed not only at UEFA but also at Olympique Lyonnais and Nottingham Forest, the two clubs that stand to benefit most if the punishment stands.
American investor John Textor owns sizeable stakes in both Palace and Lyon, and UEFA ruled that such influence violates its rules forbidding clubs under the same ownership umbrella from appearing in a single European competition.
Consequently, Palace were bumped down a tier and Nottingham Forest – seventh in the Premier League – were lined up to claim their Europa League berth. Yet Palace insist the verdict is unjust.
In the submission lodged with CAS, the Eagles request that UEFA’s financial control decision be annulled and that they be readmitted to the Europa League in place of either Forest or Lyon.
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Meanwhile, time is ticking. CAS has promised a ruling on or before 11 August, barely a week after the draw for Conference League play‑offs and just six weeks before the Europa League group stage commences on 24 September. Should Palace prevail, scheduling headaches for all three clubs – and UEFA – could be significant.
Although UEFA gave clubs until 1 March 2025 to restructure questionable ownership models, Palace missed that deadline and argued Textor does not wield “decisive influence” at Selhurst Park.
Nevertheless, UEFA’s investigators rejected that claim, citing Textor’s majority control at Lyon as evidence of prohibited sway.
Furthermore, chairman Steve Parish remains bullish. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, he stated the club is “very hopeful” CAS will overturn the ruling, stressing they had shown “beyond all reasonable doubt” that Textor is not the primary decision‑maker in South London.
Ultimately, the verdict will hinge on how CAS interprets “decisive influence” within UEFA’s statutes. Until the arbitration panel delivers its decision, Palace fans must wait to learn whether European Thursday nights bring the glamour of the Europa League – or the fallback of the Conference League – to Selhurst Park.
Tags: Crystal Palace, UEFA, Court for Arbitration of Sports, CAS, #CPFC, #EPL, #PremierLeague, Europa Conference League, #UECL, #UEL.
