Crystal Palace lose appeal to play in Europa League | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have lost their appeal against being demoted from the Europa League and will play Conference League football in the new season.

Palace appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being banished from the Europa League for infringing on multi-club ownership rules, but the announcement means that the Eagles will play in the Conference League, with Nottingham Forest now confirmed to be playing in the Europa League.

Palace qualified for the Europa League after beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup last campaign, and this verdict comes just a day after they beat Liverpool to lift the Community Shield.

CAS’s official announcement said: ‘After considering the evidence, the Panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a Board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA’s assessment date. The Panel also dismissed the argument by CPFC that they received unfair treatment in comparison to Nottingham Forest and OL. The Panel considered that the UEFA Regulations are clear and do not provide flexibility to clubs that are non compliant on the assessment date, as CPFC claimed.’

Palace have been embroiled in this dispute for weeks, ever since lifting the FA Cup in mid-May. What should have been a joyous occasion and season that followed has in many ways been overshadowed.