Crystal Palace’s hopes of playing in the Europa League have been dashed after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) upheld a ruling by UEFA to demote the club to the Conference League.
The decision, which confirms Nottingham Forest’s place in the Europa League, comes just one day after Palace won the Community Shield by beating Liverpool on penalties.
The punishment stems from a breach of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. American businessman John Textor, who sold his 43% stake in Crystal Palace in June, is also the majority owner of Lyon, another club that qualified for the Europa League.
UEFA’s regulations prohibit two clubs owned by the same individual or entity from competing in the same European tournament.
Palace had appealed the decision, arguing that Textor no longer held “decisive influence” over the club and that they had been treated unfairly compared to Nottingham Forest and Lyon.
However, Cas dismissed the appeal, stating that the regulations are clear and do not offer flexibility. The court also found that Textor still had decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA’s assessment.
The demotion is expected to have a significant financial impact on the club, with estimates suggesting a loss of around £20 million.
This could affect the club’s transfer plans and its ability to retain key players like Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze, who are attracting interest from top Premier League sides.
Despite the setback, Crystal Palace will now prepare to face either Norwegian side Fredrikstad or Danish club Midtjylland in the Conference League play-off round later this month.
