Crystal Palace drop to Conference League after appeal loss
Crystal Palace’s European dreams took a hit as the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Uefa’s decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Conference League. The ruling simultaneously confirmed Nottingham Forest’s promotion to the Europa League, filling the spot Palace vacated. The decision landed just a day after Palace’s high point — beating Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield at Wembley. But the celebration quickly gave way to disappointment as the consequences of breaching Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules caught up with them. The issue centred on American businessman John Textor, who owned 43% of Palace until June and is majority owner of Lyon, another Europa League qualifier. Uefa regulations forbid clubs with overlapping ownership influence from competing in the same European tournament. Palace had until 1 March 2025 to restructure and prove compliance, but missed […]