Crystal Palace Blast UEFA After Europa League Demotion, Claim “Impossible to Receive a Fair Hearing”

written by Afam joseph August 13,2025
Crystal Palace have launched a scathing attack on UEFA after losing their appeal against a decision to demote them from the Europa League to the UEFA Conference League, accusing European football’s governing body of making it “almost impossible” for the club to get a fair hearing.

The Eagles had secured Europa League qualification by winning the FA Cup in May — their first major trophy in 120 years — defeating Manchester City in the final. However, on July 11, UEFA ruled that Palace breached multi-club ownership regulations due to American businessman John Textor holding stakes in both Palace and French side Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.

Despite Textor’s Eagle Football selling its 43% stake in Palace to Woody Johnson, UEFA determined that as of March 1 he still had “decisive influence” over both clubs. Palace’s subsequent appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was rejected following a 10-hour hearing in Lausanne.

As a result, Oliver Glasner’s side will now enter the Conference League playoffs, where they will face either Fredrikstad or FC Midtjylland on August 21.

Palace’s Furious Response

In a strongly worded official statement, Palace said:

“When we won the FA Cup, our manager and players earned the right to play Europa League football. We have been denied that opportunity. Sporting merit has been rendered meaningless. Certain clubs and individuals enjoy unique privileges, while teams like ours face sanctions applied in the most flagrant and uneven way.”

The club further accused UEFA of inconsistent regulation enforcement, claiming the process “severely restricts” fair hearings by denying key witness testimony and disclosure requests. Palace insisted that the ruling undermines the integrity of European football governance.

Next Steps and Implications

Chairman Steve Parish confirmed the club is continuing to take legal advice on further action, while warning the decision has wider implications for aspirational clubs across Europe.

Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in last season’s Premier League, are expected to take Palace’s Europa League spot. Palace will instead focus on competing in the Conference League, vowing to approach the competition with “determination and the will to win.”