Crystal Palace have lost their legal battle to remain in the Europa League, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejecting their appeal against UEFA’s decision to demote them to the Conference League.
The ruling cements Nottingham Forest’s place in the Europa League after they finished seventh in last season’s Premier League, while Palace – who qualified by winning the FA Cup – will now enter the Conference League play-off round later this month.
UEFA’s case centred on a conflict-of-interest ruling from March 1, when Eagle Football Group held a majority stake in Olympique Lyonnais and chairman John Textor also controlled Palace. CAS concluded that Textor’s dual influence breached UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, dismissing Palace’s claims of unequal treatment compared with Lyon and Forest.
While both Lyon and Palace had qualified for the Europa League, Lyon kept their spot by virtue of finishing higher domestically – sixth in Ligue 1 compared to Palace’s 12th in the Premier League.
The decision arrives just days after New York Jets co-owner Woody Johnson acquired Eagle Football Holdings’ stake in Palace, and shortly after Textor’s resignation from Lyon’s board, with Michele Kang replacing him as chairwoman and president.
Palace have yet to comment on the CAS verdict, though chairman Steve Parish hinted at exploring “next steps” if the appeal failed. Lyon, meanwhile, welcomed the ruling as confirmation of their Europa League participation.
The setback comes despite Palace’s Community Shield triumph on Sunday, where they edged Liverpool in a penalty shootout – a rare high point in a week dominated by legal defeat.
