Crystal Palace are facing a demotion from the Europa League following a ruling by the CAS. Palace got a great start to their new season with a win against Liverpool FC in the English Premier League curtain raiser, the Community Shield. After that positive result, one would have expected the good times to keep on rolling for Crystal Palace, but alas, they have been struck a devastating blow by the sports governing body. Palace is one of the best-supported teams in London and has a long tradition of producing world-class players who light up the best soccer league in the world. How will Palace deal with the CAS ruling?
Crystal Palace’s celebrations cut short by CAS ruling
Crystal Palace’s appeal against UEFA’s decision to drop them from the Europa League to the third-tier Conference League was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday. UEFA demoted Palace while allowing Olympique Lyonnais to play in the Europa League as, at the time of assessment on March 1, the Eagle Football Group was the majority owners of Lyon while their chairman, John Textor, owned a controlling stake in Palace.
Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, will replace Palace in the Europa League.
“After considering the evidence, the panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA’s assessment date. The panel also dismissed the argument by CPFC that they received unfair treatment in comparison to Nottingham Forest and OL,” the CAS said in a statement.
Palace needs to consider its next move in the ruling appeal
Palace did not respond to a request for comment. Club chairman Steve Parish told reporters on Sunday that if Palace lost the appeal, they would “have to look if there’s any steps after that.” The club, which qualified for the Europa League as FA Cup winners, appealed against UEFA’s decision last month. The appeal came days before New York Jets co-owner Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson completed the purchase of Eagle Football Holdings’ stake in Palace.
Textor has also resigned from Lyon’s board of directors, with Michele Kang appointed chairwoman and president. As both Lyon and Palace had qualified for the Europa League, the French club was allowed to keep its place because it had finished higher in its respective league. Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 while Palace were 12th in the Premier League.
“Olympique Lyonnais welcomes today’s decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirming its participation in the Europa League,” Lyon said in a statement.
Palace, who won the Community Shield on Sunday, beating Liverpool in a penalty shootout, are set to play in the Conference League’s qualifying playoff round later this month. English soccer is on a high following the great result of the Women’s side, the Lionesses, winning their crucial matchup against Spain at the Euro 2025 tournament.
Can Palace ride their wave of positive momentum into the new season
While the Community Shield is not seen as the most important trophy for teams to pursue, it is still an important barometer for teams to measure their readiness for the upcoming season. It’s the first major trophy up for grabs every season, and following Crystal Palace’s historic FA Cup win, they were excited to start this new season. However, their European dreams have now been dealt a devastating blow. As the English soccer teams prepare for the start of the season, Palace has ground to make up following the ruling by the CAS.
Coaches Database/REUTERS
