Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed the club will appeal UEFA’s decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Conference League, citing legal confidence and unfair treatment over a multi-club ownership issue.
The controversy stems from Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May, which secured their first major trophy and a place in European competition for the first time.
However, UEFA ruled that Palace breached ownership rules due to links between former club director John Textor and French side Olympique Lyonnais, in which he holds a significant stake.
Parish: “We Are Still Fighting”
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Parish made it clear that Palace would take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“We are still fighting,” Parish said. “There’s an appeal process, so we go to CAS… and 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.”
UEFA’s rule prohibits any owner or part-owner from having controlling interest in multiple clubs competing in the same European tournament in the same season.
Ownership Conflict Timeline
Textor officially stepped away from Crystal Palace at the start of July, but the conflict of interest concerns focus on the end of the 2024/25 season, when Palace secured their Europa League qualification.
UEFA insists the deadline for restructuring ownership to comply with competition rules was March 1, a date Palace reportedly failed to meet.
If the ruling stands, Nottingham Forest, who finished 7th in the Premier League, would take Palace’s Europa League spot.
Club Defends Its Position
Crystal Palace maintains that Textor’s influence was not decisive and thus should not warrant demotion.
“We proved beyond reasonable doubt that he didn’t control decision-making,” said Parish.
The club’s legal team is reportedly preparing documentation to show that UEFA’s interpretation of the ownership rules was misapplied in this case.
What Happens Next?
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to hear the case in the coming weeks. If Palace wins the appeal, it could force UEFA to reallocate competition spots just weeks before the start of the 2025/26 European season.
