Crystal Palace Demoted to Conference League
The decision marks a significant development in the application of Uefa's multi-club ownership rules, following similar cases involving Drogheda United and Győri ETO, and highlights the complexities and challenges faced by clubs with shared ownership structures in competing in European competitions.
Crystal Palace has been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League next season due to breaching Uefa's multi-club ownership rules, sparking a strong reaction from the club's chairman, Steve Parish, who described the decision as "the biggest injustice in the history of football" and vowed to appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The decision was made after American businessman John Textor, who owns a stake in Palace, was found to also be the majority owner of French club Lyon, which qualified for the Europa League. Uefa's rules state that clubs owned by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition. Despite Palace arguing that Textor does not hold decisive influence, Uefa rejected this claim, and as a result, Lyon takes precedence over Palace due to their higher league position.
This ruling not only affects Crystal Palace but also has implications for other clubs, such as Nottingham Forest, which could replace Palace in the Europa League. The financial implications of this demotion are significant, with the Conference League offering lower financial rewards compared to the Europa League. Palace qualified for the Europa League by finishing 12th in the Premier League and further solidified their position by beating Lyon in the FA Cup final, but the alleged multi-club ownership rule violation has led to their demotion.
The appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is the next step for Crystal Palace in their bid to overturn the decision. The club's chairman, Steve Parish, has expressed shock and disappointment, calling the ruling a "terrible injustice." The outcome of this appeal will be closely watched, as it will determine the final European competition placement for Crystal Palace and potentially impact other clubs like Nottingham Forest.