Crystal Palace booted out of Europa League with Nottingham Forest set to replace them
UEFA has confirmed that Crystal Palace will be demoted from next season's Europa League to the Conference League, with Nottingham Forest expected to take their place in the second-tier competition. The governing body had been assessing whether Palace should be excluded due to American shareholder John Textor also being the majority owner of Lyon, the French club who have also qualified for the Europa League. Crystal Palace are expected to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport after UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body ruled that multi-club ownership rules had been breached, stating it would “reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League and accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League.” READ MORE: Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano: Head clashes will play role in trilogy bout says former opponent READ MORE: Keith Andrews to make ex-Liverpool captain his biggest signing yet as Brentford manager Lyon have taken priority because UEFA rules prioritise league finishing positions over domestic Cup wins. Textor, who owns 43 per cent of Palace, had reiterated on Thursday that he never held direct influence over the club, insisting that he can prove he has never made “management decisions” at Selhurst Park. But he failed to place his stake in Palace into a blind trust by a March 1 deadline that was long before their Cup win and UEFA have decided to take exception by blocking their participation. They will, however, be allowed to play in the Conference League with an expectation that Forest, who were qualified for that competition, will swap places. Confirmation of that switch may not arrive until any appeals process reaches its conclusion but UEFA's rule 4.10 states: "A club that is not admitted to the competition is replaced by the next-best-placed club in the top domestic championship of the same association, provided the new club fulfils the admission criteria." Palace's relegation had been expected since Tuesday, when Lyon succeeded in their appeal against relegation from Ligue 1 for financial reasons. To satisfy that appeal Textor has stepped aside from operational control at the club. Had their demotion been upheld, they would have been excluded from Europe but their reinstatement has also seen their place in the Europa League secured, prompting UEFA to demote Palace instead. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
