Crystal Palace will play within the UEFA Convention League after The Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dominated UEFA’s unique resolution to demote them from the Europa League will stand.
Palace, who beat Liverpool to win the Group Defend on Sunday, certified for the Europa League by profitable the FA Cup in Might.
Nevertheless, they have been demoted to the Convention League by European soccer’s governing physique UEFA on July 11 after it decided that as of March 1, American businessman John Textor had management or affect at each Palace and French membership Lyon.
Palace appealed in opposition to their demotion and Eagles chairman Steve Parish attended a 10-hour listening to in entrance of three CAS judges in Lausanne on Friday, however the Premier League membership, who will now contemplate their authorized choices, have misplaced their enchantment.
Nottingham Forest – who journey to Selhurst Park for Palace’s first residence league sport on August 24, reside on Sky Sports activities Tremendous Sunday – are anticipated to take Palace’s place within the Europa League.
A CAS media launch learn: “The Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an enchantment by Crystal Palace FC (CPFC) in opposition to UEFA, Nottingham Forest FC and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) regarding a call by UEFA to take away CPFC from the UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 as a consequence of a breach of UEFA multi membership possession laws.
“In consequence, CPFC can be admitted to compete within the UEFA Convention League 2025/2026.
“The appeal sought to annul the decision by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on July 11 2025 which found CPFC and OL non-compliant with multi club ownership regulations.
“Alongside the annulment of the choice, CPFC requested readmission to the UEFA Europa League with Nottingham Forest or OL’s admission rejected.
“After considering the evidence, the Panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a Board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA’s assessment date.
Crystal Palace have fun after profitable the FA Cup again in Might
“The Panel also dismissed the argument by CPFC that they received unfair treatment in comparison to Nottingham Forest and OL. The Panel considered that the UEFA Regulations are clear and do not provide flexibility to clubs that are non-compliant on the assessment date, as CPFC claimed.
“This was an expedited process, with an operative resolution rendered two and a half weeks after the enchantment, filed on July 21 2025. Until Events request confidentiality, a full Award (with grounds) can be made accessible on the CAS web site in the end.”
UEFA declined to comment on the CAS panel’s decision, while Palace did not make any immediate comment.
Textor has now sold his stake in Palace, with the purchase of his shares by New York Jets owner Woody Johnson completed in late July.
Palace chairman and co-owner Steve Parish, speaking after the Eagles beat Liverpool to lift the Community Shield, said his team would look for any alternative solutions should the verdict not go their way.
He said: “If we do not get the precise consequence, then we should look if there’s any steps after that.”
Palace would have been granted direct entry to the Europa League league phase as FA Cup winners but now have to contend with a two-legged play-off against the losers of the Europa League qualifier between Fredrikstad and Midtjylland.
The first leg is scheduled to take place at Selhurst Park on August 21 and the away leg on August 28.
The league phase draws for the Europa and Conference League draws are in Monaco on August 29.
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi lifts the Group Defend after a penalty shootout victory over Liverpool
From a soccer perspective, they’re resigned to the actual fact they should play within the Convention League.
However within the meantime, they are going to seek the advice of with their attorneys about doable authorized claims for damages.
CAS has dominated that each one sides need to pay their very own prices in an indication that Palace have been justified in pursuing this so far as they might.
Partaking KCs in such instances can value £2,000 an hour.
‘CAS have determined that guidelines are guidelines’
Sky Sports activities Information’ chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
“This is terrible news for Crystal Palace fans because just three months ago they won the FA Cup at Wembley by beating Man City and the prize for winning the FA Cup is a place in the Europa League.
“That may be a place that they earn, however in fact the issue is that they’ve fallen foul of UEFA’s controversial multi-club possession guidelines and UEFA stated that John Textor, the American businessman had shares in Palace and he is additionally obtained shares in Lyon.
“Both these clubs have qualified for the Europa League and UEFA said we can’t have a situation where both these clubs are going to play in the Europa League, so they removed Palace and put them in the Conference League instead
“Palace appealed to the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] in Lausanne, there was a 10-hour listening to in Switzerland on Friday. I used to be there, Steve Parish, the Palace chairman was there. Within the morning I feel he was quietly assured that perhaps they’d get a good listening to at CAS and so they’d get their place within the Europa League again, however clearly we have simply had the information that Palace have misplaced their enchantment.
“CAS have decided that rules are rules. John Textor owned shares in Lyon and he also owned shares in Palace – he had until March 1 to do something about it. If he placed his Palace shares in a blind trust by March 1, then Palace would still have their place in the Europa League.
“He did not do this for no matter motive and guess what? He isn’t concerned at Palace anymore both as a result of he offered his shares to a different American businessman, Woody Johnson.
“So you’ve got this incredible situation where Palace, who absolutely definitively are not part of a multi-club ownership group, have been banned from playing in the Europa League by UEFA and their place will probably be taken by Nottingham Forest.
“In fact, dangerous information for Palace followers, nice information for Forest followers and I feel what Forest can be saying is guidelines are guidelines. It is written there in black and white. Palace have damaged UEFA’s multi-club possession guidelines. They’d till March 1 to do one thing about it. They did not do one thing about it. We completed above them within the Premier League. We completed seventh, they completed twelfth. So actually, actually sorry. Dangerous information for Palace followers, however we are actually going to be enjoying within the Europa League. We simply have to attend for affirmation from UEFA about that.”
A timeline of Palace’s European scenario
March 1: UEFA’s deadline passes for golf equipment in multi-club teams to alter their possession construction.
At that time, Crystal Palace have been twelfth within the Premier League and within the FA Cup fifth spherical – a contest that also had Manchester Metropolis, Newcastle, Manchester United, Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Fulham in it.
April 30: It’s revealed Evangelos Marinakis has eliminated himself from management of Nottingham Forest, placing his shares right into a blind belief when it regarded like Forest would qualify for the Champions League alongside Olympiakos, additionally owned by the Greek billionaire.
Might 17: Crystal Palace win the FA Cup by beating Manchester Metropolis 1-0, thereby qualifying for the Europa League.
On the identical day, Lyon qualify for the Europa League on the ultimate day of the Ligue 1 season. Nevertheless, Lyon face the prospect of UEFA sanctions for failing to satisfy spending guidelines.
Might 25: Forest fail to qualify for the Champions League on the ultimate day of the Premier League season however attain the Convention League as a substitute, so Marinakis takes again management of the membership.
June 3: UEFA meet with Palace executives in Switzerland to debate whether or not the Eagles are capable of play in Europe subsequent season. John Textor and Steve Parish attend the assembly to struggle Palace’s case.
June 9: It’s revealed Forest have written to UEFA warning that Palace may very well be in breach of UEFA’s multi-club possession guidelines.
June 25: It’s introduced that Lyon have been relegated from Ligue 1 after failing to persuade authorities they’ve resolved their monetary difficulties. The French membership instantly say they are going to enchantment the choice.
July 9: Lyon’s enchantment is upheld, that means they’re reinstated to Ligue 1 and their spot within the Europa League is confirmed – bringing again doubt about Palace’s Europa League spot.
July 11: Palace’s demotion to the Convention League is introduced by UEFA. The Eagles say they are going to enchantment the choice by way of the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
August 8: The CAS enchantment begins in Lausanne, Switzerland – precisely one week earlier than the beginning of the brand new Premier League season.
August 11: Crystal Palace will play within the Convention League after CAS dominated UEFA’s unique resolution to demote them from the Europa League will stand.
