rystal Palace have officially been demoted from the UEFA Europa League to the UEFA Conference League for the 2025–26 season, following the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejecting their appeal against UEFA’s ruling .
Background & Timeline
- The club qualified for the Europa League after winning their first-ever FA Cup on 17 May 2025, defeating Manchester City 1–0—an historic achievement .
- However, UEFA intervened, citing a breach of multi-club ownership rules: at the cutoff date of 1 March, John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings held influential stakes in both Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais, both set to play in the Europa League .
- Although Textor sold his Palace shares later in July, the divestment occurred after UEFA’s deadline, making it ineligible to reverse the decision .
- UEFA announced the demotion in mid-July, and Nottingham Forest—seventh in the Premier League—were awarded the Europa League spot .
- Crystal Palace appealed. The CAS held hearings in early August and on 11 August 2025 upheld UEFA’s original decision, confirming Palace’s spot in the Conference League’s play-off round, with Nottingham Forest taking their Europa League place .
Club Response & Outlook
- Palace have slammed the decision, describing it as undermining “sporting merit” and accusing UEFA of inconsistent enforcement and bias toward clubs with elite, multi-club structures .
- The club indicated they are seeking legal advice going forward, citing potential avenues via European Court of Justice rulings and possible compensation claims for significant financial losses .
- Despite the controversy, Palace are set to enter the UEFA Conference League in the play-off round, where they will face the losers of the Europa League tie between Fredrikstad and Midtjylland .
- Privately and publicly, the club has vowed to compete with determination in the Conference League, whatever their long-term legal outcome may be .
Let me know if you’d like a more detailed breakdown of the legal aspects, UEFA’s governance rules, or fan reactions.
Leave a Reply