Palace Appeal Against Europa League Demotion

Crystal Palace have submitted an appeal against their demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The appeal is against Uefa, which issued the punishment, French club Lyon and Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest.

The Eagles were punished for breaching multi-club ownership rules as American businessman John Textor owns a stake in the club and is the majority owner of Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League.

Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, are expected replace FA Cup winners Palace in the Europa League should the punishment stand.

In their appeal Palace have requested an annulment of the decision by Uefa’s financial control body and readmission to the Europa League in place of either Forest or Lyon.

A decision is expected on or before 11 August, with the Europa League group stage beginning on 24 September.

The rules of European football’s governing body state that clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition.

Uefa’s rules set a deadline of 1 March 2025 to show proof of multi-club ownership restructuring – a deadline Palace missed.

Palace argued Textor does not hold any decisive influence at the club, but Uefa did not accept the Premier League club’s defence.

Speaking to The Rest is Football, external podcast last week, Palace chairman Steve Parish said he was “very hopeful” the decision would be overturned.

“We don’t think this is the right decision by any means. We know, unequivocally, that John [Textor] didn’t have decisive influence over the club,” he said.

“We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it’s a fact.”

How did we get here?
Uefa’s regulations around multi-club ownership and European competitions are in place to prevent collusion.

In the governing body’s rulebook, a club is required to prove they are not “simultaneously involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration, and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a Uefa club competition”.

Textor’s Eagle Football owns a 43% stake in Palace and 77% stake in Lyon, but the Premier League club argued they are an entity that operates entirely independently.

In June, Forest asked for clarity from Uefa on Palace’s position in Europe with the club standing to gain if Palace were demoted to the Conference League.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who controls Greek side Olympiakos, avoided regulations around multi-club ownership by diluting his control of the Premier League side.

Textor took similar steps to help Palace’s prospects of playing in the Europa League by agreeing to sell his 43% stake to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson in June, but the deal is yet to be completed.

Textor later also resigned from his leadership position at Lyon.

Bbc.com