August 11 2025

Palace lost their CAS appeal

Crystal Palace’s European adventure will now take place in the Conference League after the club lost its appeal against demotion from the Europa League.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld UEFA’s decision, confirming that Nottingham Forest will take the Eagles’ place in the second-tier competition.

Palace had earned their Europa League spot by lifting the FA Cup last season, but their achievement was overshadowed by UEFA’s ruling that they had breached multi-club ownership rules.

The issue centred on American businessman John Textor, who at the time owned 43% of Palace and held majority control at Lyon – another Europa League qualifier.

UEFA gave Palace until 1 March 2025 to prove they had resolved the conflict, but the deadline passed without the required restructuring. Textor eventually sold his Palace stake in July, yet CAS determined that he still had “decisive influence” over both clubs when UEFA conducted its assessment.

In their appeal, Palace argued they had been treated unfairly compared to Lyon and Nottingham Forest, but CAS rejected the claim, stating the regulations were “clear and do not provide flexibility” for clubs failing to meet compliance on the assessment date.

The panel also dismissed Palace’s stance that Textor held no decisive influence at Selhurst Park.

As a result, Palace will drop into the Conference League play-off round later this month, where they will face either Norwegian side Fredrikstad or Danish outfit Midtjylland.

For supporters, the disappointment is clear – but so too is the opportunity for the Eagles to make their mark on a European stage, albeit a different one than first imagined.