Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed the club will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after UEFA demoted them from the Europa League to the Conference League, calling the decision “the greatest injustice in the history of football”.
The Eagles were stripped of their Europa League place due to American businessman John Textor’s 44.9 per cent stake in the club whilst also owning French side Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 to qualify for the same competition.
Under UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, no individual can have “decisive influence” over two clubs in the same European competition, with a March 1 deadline to resolve any conflicts of interest.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Parish revealed the club’s determination to overturn the ruling: “We are still fighting. There’s an appeal process, so we go to CAS, which is the court for arbitration, 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 didn’t have decisive influence over the club,” Parish insisted. “We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it’s a fact.”
The south London club earned their Europa League spot through their historic FA Cup triumph over Manchester City in May, securing the first major trophy in their 160-year history.
Parish, a lifelong Eagles fan, emphasised the emotional impact on supporters: “This is the dream, right? This is what keeps football alive. This is why everybody goes, because they think one day they might win a cup, and they might qualify for Europe.”
“These things can be defining moments for a club and completely change the course of history forever,” the 59-year-old continued.
Textor, who has since agreed to sell his Palace shares to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson in a deal subject to Premier League clearance, backed Parish’s position in a TalkSPORT interview.
“Parish is making decisions. He’s bringing us players. He involves us, but he doesn’t really listen to us,” Textor explained. “He does, but a suggestion from time to time is not the same as decisive influence.”
The American businessman expressed his frustration at the ruling: “Honestly, I am stunned. We did everything possible to separate from the club, as UEFA would ask, with a sale process that began before the deadline, and a sale that will occur well before the draw.”
Now we have sold out of a club that I love, to help Palace fans continue this dream year, only to have another off-the-pitch decision lay waste to an historic sporting victory,” Textor told Reuters.
Palace have highlighted what they perceive as inconsistencies in UEFA’s application of the rules. Manchester City and Girona, both owned by City Football Group, competed in this year’s Champions League after CFG placed their Girona shares in a blind trust.
Similarly, Manchester United, where Sir Jim Ratcliffe holds 29 per cent and controls football operations, faced Nice in the Europa League despite Ratcliffe’s majority ownership of the French club.
The key difference was timing. City Football Group and INEOS made their arrangements before the March 1 deadline, whilst Textor’s sale agreement came after, leaving Palace vulnerable to UEFA’s stricter enforcement.
UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body ruled that where two clubs breach multi-club ownership rules, the team finishing higher in their domestic league retains their European place. Despite Palace winning the FA Cup whilst Lyon only qualified through league position, UEFA prioritised league placement.
“It does look bad,” Parish said of UEFA’s decision. “We’re devastated. It’s a bad day for football. It’s a terrible injustice.”
“Everyone knows we’re not part of a multi-club set-up. We’re caught up in a rule that wasn’t put there for us. This is a ludicrous decision. We will ask the appeal court to listen to our argument.
The demotion means Palace must now compete in a Conference League playoff round rather than guaranteed Europa League group stage football, with significantly reduced financial rewards.
Nottingham Forest are expected to be promoted from the Conference League to take Palace’s Europa League spot, though UEFA has not confirmed this pending the CAS appeal outcome.
Palace’s appeal process is expected to take approximately 10 days, with the club remaining confident of a favourable outcome.
“We feel that there are a lot of very genuine mitigating circumstances and more than enough wriggle room to put us in the competition,” Parish concluded.
The case has reignited debate about UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, with three clubs now excluded from European competitions this summer under the stricter enforcement, including Irish side Drogheda United and Hungary’s Győri ETO.
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