Crystal Palace are taking their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being disqualified from the 2025-26 Europa League. The dispute stems from UEFA’s claim that the English club breached its multi-club ownership rules, with investor John Textor holding shares in both Crystal Palace and Lyon – a French side that also qualifies for the Europa League.
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Under UEFA rules, a single person or entity is not allowed to control two clubs at the same time if both teams qualify for European competitions in the same season. As of the deadline of March 1, 2025, Textor – through Eagle Football Holdings – still owns around 44% of Crystal Palace and controls Lyon.
Billionaire John Textor (left) is a major shareholder in Lyon and co-owner of Crystal Palace, billionaire David Blitzer, is also the owner of Brondby Club.
Crystal Palace, despite later presenting ample evidence that the American investor had sold most of his shares in Palace and resigned from the Lyon board, UEFA maintained that the timing of making these changes was too late.
Palace were therefore eliminated from the Europa League despite qualifying for the competition with a 1-0 win over Man City in the FA Cup final. Their Europa League spot was given to Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season.
Not accepting this decision, Crystal Palace filed an appeal to CAS, requesting to cancel UEFA's decision and restore their Europa League spot.
The London club insists they have complied with the rules, and accuses UEFA of applying “double standards” in enforcing them. Palace points to other clubs – including Nottingham Forest – who were given until the end of April to resolve ownership disputes, while they were only given until March 1.
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Chairman Steve Parish called UEFA's decision "a serious injustice" and said the club would use all legal means to protect its rights. Meanwhile, coach Oliver Glasner said the team was still focused on preparing for the new season and was confident of winning at CAS.
Crystal Palace fans march against UEFA at Shelhurst Park
The closed-door hearing is scheduled to take place on August 8 in Lausanne (Switzerland), with the final verdict to be announced no later than August 11. In the meantime, Crystal Palace has shown its discontent by removing all information related to the Europa Conference League from its official media platforms.
Fans of this team even protested and lit flares outside the headquarters of the European Football Federation to protest UEFA's decision.
Crystal Palace fans protest in front of CAS headquarters in Switzerland
If CAS approves the appeal, Palace will be returned to the Europa League, meaning Lyon or Nottingham Forest will be relegated to the Conference League. Conversely, if they lose, Palace will have to accept playing in Europe's third tier - a league they have never played in before.
These three teams have a special relationship.
Palace’s situation will be a test for UEFA, given the growing trend of multi-club ownership across Europe. While the organisation has been flexible with big names, excluding Palace – a smaller club – will be controversial.
If Palace are ultimately stripped of their Europa League spot, it will be understandable to feel a sense of regret, but it will be a valuable lesson not just for them but for every club entering the multi-ownership game, where the rules can be far from black and white, but full of “grey areas”.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/crystal-palace-quyet-kien-uefa-vi-bi-tuoc-quyen-du-europa-league-196250806073713782.htm
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