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Palace appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being relegated from the UEFA Europa League to the Conference League due to John Textor’s dual ownership with Lyon.
Crystal Palace fans protesting (X)
Crystal Palace have officially lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being relegated from the UEFA Europa League to the UEFA Conference League due to a breach of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.
Palace Penalised Over Textor’s Dual Ownership
The dispute stems from American businessman John Textor’s involvement with both Crystal Palace and French side Lyon. UEFA determined that as of March 1, Textor exercised “control or influence” over both clubs—making them ineligible to compete in the same European tournament under UEFA regulations.
Although Textor has since agreed to sell his stake in Palace to Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets, UEFA’s ruling was based on the state of affairs at the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, when both clubs qualified for European competitions.
Lyon Retain Europa League Spot, Palace Drop Down
Lyon, by virtue of a higher domestic league finish, were awarded the Europa League place, leaving Palace demoted to the UEFA Conference League. Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, are now in line to take Palace’s original Europa League slot.
Palace, however, are contesting both the legitimacy of the ruling and its timing.
Appeal Filed with CAS, Decision Due by August 11
On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed it had received Crystal Palace’s appeal and that a final decision will be issued by August 11—ahead of the start of the European competitions.
Palace are seeking to either reclaim their Europa League place or take over that of Forest or Lyon, depending on how CAS rules.
Club chairman Steve Parish expressed confidence in Palace’s legal case during an appearance on The Rest is Football podcast.
“We are still fighting. There’s an appeal process, so we go to CAS—and we’re very hopeful. We think we’ve got great legal arguments,” he said.
“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. We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt—because it’s a fact.”
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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