Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Crystal Palace, UEFA, Europa League, Europa Conference League, Premier League, Football, Nottingham Forest
Ryan Smart
Topics: Crystal Palace, UEFA, Europa League, Europa Conference League, Premier League, Football, Nottingham Forest
A final decision has been made over whether Crystal Palace can play in the Europa League this season after the club launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The Eagles initially qualified for the Europa League after winning the 2024/25 FA Cup at Wembley.
However, UEFA demoted them to the Conference League after deeming the club to be in breach of multi-club ownership rules.
Advert
Nottingham Forest, who qualified for the Conference League, provisionally took their place.
John Textor's Eagle Football Group owned a 43 per cent stake in Palace and 77 per cent of Lyon at the time, with both clubs having qualified for the Europa League.
Palace, who won the Community Shield on Sunday by beating Liverpool on penalties, argued that Textor's influence at Selhurst Park was 'not decisive'. The American has since resigned from the Lyon board and agreed to sell his Palace shares to US investor Woody Johnson.
After UEFA's initial verdict in June, Palace launched an appeal with CAS. Co-owner Steve Parish attended the hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland.
However, a final decision has been reached over the saga, with Crystal Palace officially barred from competing in the Europa League.
Advert
They will instead compete in the Conference League.
Oliver Glasner's side have already been drawn in Europe's third-tier competition and will enter at the third qualifying round stage.
According to The Times, part of Palace's appeal was expected to highlight links between Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and Textor, given that six players have been transferred between the two clubs over the past year.
During the entirety of Textor's time at Palace and Lyon, only one player was traded between the sides - defender Jake O'Brien.
Advert
It is claimed that the Eagles believe that Marinakis and Textor's collaborations 'would pose a far greater conflict of interest in the Europa League' than their relationship with the American.
This summer, Forest have signed two players from Brazilian club Botafogo, which is majority owned by Textor. They have sold midfielder Danilo in the opposite direction, with goalkeeper Matt Turner joining Lyon.