Crystal Palace Will Appeal UEFA Europa League Demotion At CAS, Confirms Chairman Parish

Last Updated:July 16, 2025, 23:47 IST

Crystal Palace will appeal UEFA's decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

(Credit: X)

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed that the club will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following UEFA’s decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League.

Palace secured a historic European berth after defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May, clinching their first major trophy and a place in the 2025–26 Europa League.

However, UEFA ruled that Palace must relinquish their Europa League spot due to a conflict of interest involving former club director John Textor, who also holds a stake in French side Olympique Lyonnais.

Ownership Conflict at the Heart of UEFA’s Decision

Although Textor officially stepped away from Crystal Palace in early July, UEFA based its ruling on the situation at the end of last season—when the Eagles secured their European qualification. Under UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, no individual may hold a controlling interest in two clubs competing in the same European competition during a single season.

As a result of the decision, Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, would take Palace’s place in the Europa League, with Palace dropping to the Conference League instead.

But Parish made it clear that Palace will not accept the ruling without a fight.

“We are still fighting," he said on The Rest is Football podcast. “There’s an appeal process, so we go to CAS—which is the Court for Arbitration—and, you know, we’re very hopeful. We think we’ve got great legal arguments."

“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."

Palace Disputes ‘Decisive Influence’ Claim

Palace have maintained that Textor never exercised a level of control that would have violated UEFA’s rules. The club insists his role fell short of the “decisive influence" required for disqualification under the regulations.

Despite Textor’s departure, UEFA emphasized that the cutoff date for resolving multi-club ownership conflicts was March 1—well before Palace’s FA Cup triumph.

What’s Next?

Crystal Palace will now present their case to CAS, hoping to overturn the ruling and reclaim their spot in the Europa League. The outcome of the appeal could have significant implications—not only for Palace and Nottingham Forest—but also for how UEFA enforces multi-club ownership regulations in the future.

(with agency inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

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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News sports » football Crystal Palace Will Appeal UEFA Europa League Demotion At CAS, Confirms Chairman Parish