By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
FA Cup winners Crystal Palace have appealed against the decision to demote the club from the Europa League, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed.
A decision is expected by August 11, 2025 – a month after their move down to the Conference League was confirmed on July 11.
In their appeal Palace have requested an annulment of the decision by Uefa’s financial control body and readmission to the Europa League in place of either Forest or Lyon.
As FA Cup winners, the Eagles won a spot in the Europa League for the 2025/26 campaign. However, that was brought into question with French club Lyon finishing sixth in Ligue 1 and earning their own Europa League spot.
The Eagles were punished for breaching multi-club ownership rules as American businessman John Textor owns a stake in the club and is the majority owner of Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League.
Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, are expected replace Palace in the Europa League should the punishment stand.
The rules of European football’s governing body state that clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition.
Uefa’s rules set a deadline of 1 March 2025 to show proof of multi-club ownership restructuring – a deadline Palace missed.
Palace argued Textor does not hold any decisive influence at the club, but Uefa did not accept the Premier League club’s defence.
Speaking to The Rest is Football, podcast last week, Palace chairman Steve Parish said he was “very hopeful” the decision would be overturned.
“We don’t think this is the right decision by any means. We know, unequivocally, that John [Textor] didn’t have decisive influence over the club,” he said.
“We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it’s a fact.”
Uefa’s regulations around multi-club ownership and European competitions are in place to prevent collusion.
In the governing body’s rulebook, a club is required to prove they are not “simultaneously involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration, and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a Uefa club competition”.