Crystal Palace won’t be taking part in the Europa League this season. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has agreed with UEFA’s decision to move the club down to the third-tier European competition, the Conference League.
This happened because Palace broke UEFA’s rule that says one person cannot have control over two clubs taking part in the same European tournament. The problem was linked to American businessman John Textor, who owned 43% of Crystal Palace and had a key role at French club Lyon.
UEFA checked club ownership on March 1, 2025. At that point, Textor was still in a position to influence both clubs. Even though he later sold his Palace shares to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and left his role at Lyon, those changes happened after the deadline, so they didn’t count.
Since Lyon finished 6th in their league and Palace finished 12th in the Premier League, Lyon got the Europa League spot. Palace had qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup, but the rules on ownership came first.
Nottingham Forest, who finished 7th in the Premier League, have now taken Palace’s place in the Europa League. Palace will instead play in the Conference League playoff round on August 21 and 28 against either Fredrikstad from Norway or Midtjylland from Denmark.
Palace argued that the decision was unfair, but CAS said UEFA’s rules are clear and must be applied exactly as written. There is no flexibility if a club breaks the rules on the official assessment date.
This decision is a big blow to Palace. The Europa League has more matches, bigger teams, and much more prize money than the Conference League. This drop could also affect their transfer plans, as top players like Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze are being targeted by wealthier clubs.
The announcement came only a few days after Palace lifted the FA Community Shield at Wembley, defeating Liverpool in a penalty shootout. What could have been a great celebration for the club has been spoiled by this ruling.
UEFA has had these ownership rules for over 25 years to keep competitions fair. With more overseas owners buying clubs in different countries, UEFA has become stricter in enforcing the rules. Nottingham Forest and Lyon are currently within the rules and will play in Europe this season, but Palace must now focus on doing well in the Conference League.