Crystal Palace suffered a setback after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected their appeal against UEFA’s decision to demote them to the Conference League
The Eagles enjoyed a historic 2024/25 campaign, lifting their first major silverware by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. That triumph should have secured a spot in the Europa League, but multi-club ownership regulations intervened.
Part-owner John Textor held shares in both Palace and Lyon, who also qualified for the competition, forcing UEFA to prioritise the higher-ranked French side and bump Palace down.
Textor later sold his Lyon stake, prompting Palace to challenge the ruling. They argued that Textor never exerted decisive control over the club and highlighted inconsistencies in UEFA’s application of the rules. Palace presented evidence that only European Club Association members received notice of a deadline extension from March to May 31 for setting up blind trusts to comply with multi-club guidelines.
This extension allowed Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis to place his club into a blind trust in late April, despite his ownership of Olympiakos. As a result, Forest are now set to compete in the Europa League, while Palace drop to the Conference League.
Chairman Steve Parish had voiced strong frustration ahead of the hearing, describing the situation as “devastating” and a “terrible injustice” in an interview with Sky Sports. He has said: “I think most right-minded football fans will see what a terrible injustice this is for the football club, one that I dearly hope somebody can remedy because I do believe that nobody in football wants to see this.”
After the CAS session in Lausanne, Parish remained cautious, telling reporters: “It was a very long day… It seems dystopian to be in this situation.” He added that Palace would not boycott the Conference League if the appeal failed, vowing to fight on the pitch instead.
The verdict, delivered on August 11, confirmed UEFA’s stance, with Lyon and Forest retaining their Europa places. Palace have yet to issue an official statement on X, but the outcome leaves them facing a potential 20 million pounds revenue hit and added pressure on squad retention.
Compounding matters, Parish has indicated that star defender Marc Guehi could be sold if he does not sign a new contract, with the England international’s deal expiring in summer 2026.
Liverpool, the Premier League champions, have shown keen interest, and recent reports suggest the Reds are preparing talks this week, valuing Guehi at around 30 to 35 million pounds against Palace’s 40 million-plus asking price. Guehi has not pushed for a move but remains open to joining Anfield, where personal terms are unlikely to pose issues.
Parish has said: “We’d have to do that, of course. For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem for us unfortunately. We then had another bid [for Guehi] in January but that was a different situation. We’ll just have to see what happens. But, you know, it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”
As Palace pivot to the Conference League, their focus shifts to building on last season’s momentum under manager Oliver Glasner, whose tactical acumen has drawn widespread praise from fans on X.
