Crystal Palace assess legal options after appeal rejection

Emily Nicole

Crystal Palace assess legal options after appeal rejection image

Crystal Palace are assessing their legal options after losing their Court of Arbitration for Sport appeal against UEFA.

Palace launched the appeal after UEFA demoted the South London club from the Europa League to the UEFA Conference League, due to multi-club ownership rule breaches. 

Palace sealed their spot in the Europa League after defeating Manchester City 1-0 to lift the 2025 FA Cup.

UEFA demoted them to the Conference League after it was determined that on a March 1 deadline, American businessman John Textor had influence in both Palace and French side Lyon, breaching ownership rules.

Both teams qualified for the Europa League, and Palace was the unfortunate side out of the two in the ownership breach.

Palace appealed the ruling and a 10-hour hearing was carried out on August 8 in Lausanne, Switzerland with chairman Steve Parish in attendance. 

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on August 11 that UEFA's initial decision stands. 

According to Sky Sports News, Palace are now set to consult their lawyers over possible legal claims for damage.

CAS ruled that all sides must cover their own legal costs. 

What's next for Crystal Palace?

Palace's demotion to the Conference League means Nottingham Forest are promoted to the Europa League. The pair will face each other in Palace's first home Premier League fixture on August 24. 

The South London's first Conference League two-legged play-off on August 21 and 28.

The Eagles argued in their appeal that they faced unfair treatment in comparison to Forest and Lyon, which CAS has dismissed. 

But why did Eagle Football Holdings Owner, John Textor, not sell his shares before the March 1 deadline? 

He didn't have to. There is a loophole for shareholders whereby they can put their shares in a legal blind-trust, but didn't do so, leaving Palace compromised. 

Textor has since sold his shares to another American business man Woody Johnson in late July. 

CAS's rejection is a statement to Palace that "rules are rules". 

It's the end of the road for Palace in this fight, as it doesn't seem likely they will be able to claim legal damages. Their focus must return to the Premier League, and now the Conference League.

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Emily Nicole

Emily Nicole is a freelance contributor for The Sporting News. Emily is a sports journalist, with a passion for motorsport with professional experience across print, broadcast and social media. Emily holds a Journalism Bachelor’s Degree and a Media & Communications Master’s Degree, both from City, University of London. You can follow more of Emily's work on The F1 Rundown on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@thef1rundown).