Crystal Palace, FA Cup winners last season, have been demoted to the Europa Conference League by UEFA.
The decision comes after the club was found to be in breach of multi-club ownership rules, as American businessman John Textor holds stakes in both Palace and French club Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.
UEFA’s regulations prevent clubs with the same ownership influence from competing in the same European competition, and Palace missed the March 1, 2025, deadline for ownership restructuring.
Despite Palace’s arguments that Textor has no decisive influence, UEFA rejected their defense.
This ruling could see Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, take Palace’s place in the Europa League.
Crystal Palace plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Lyon take precedence due to their higher league finish.
The situation was further complicated by Lyon’s recent successful appeal against relegation, which had initially offered Palace a potential pathway to the Europa League.
