English football team 'relegated' by UEFA for violating regulations related to club ownership

Having won the FA Cup and qualified for the Europa League for the first time, Crystal Palace seemed to be entering a new chapter in the club's history. However, UEFA recently stripped them of their right to play in Europe's second-tier competition.

Crystal Palace have been banned from the Europa League and relegated to the Conference League following UEFA's conclusion that the FA Cup winners breached multiple ownership rules.

Palace chairman Steve Parish described the ruling as "one of the greatest injustices in European football", and said his club, which has never competed in a major European tournament, would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport .

“It’s a terrible day for football. We’re devastated,” Parish told Sky Sports. “I think most football fans, right-thinking people, will see that it’s an injustice, a terrible injustice. An appeal is obviously an option.

Palace's largest shareholder is John Textor, who also owns Lyon. Due to UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, Textor agreed to sell his stake in Palace to American billionaire Woody Johnson, but the deal has not yet been completed and has already passed UEFA's one-third deadline. Textor also stepped down from his leadership positions at Lyon this month, including his position on the board.

UEFA's Club Financial Control Body has recently concluded that Palace are in breach of the multi-club ownership criteria and decided to "deny Palace's participation in the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League but accept them for the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League". According to UEFA regulations, clubs with a common owner will be banned from participating in the same UEFA tournament.

The ban was expected after Lyon won their appeal against relegation from Ligue 2 this week, securing a Europa League spot thanks to their sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 last season. Nottingham Forest are now in line to replace Palace in the Conference League, but this will only be confirmed once the court proceedings are over.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/doi-bong-anh-bi-uefa-giang-xuong-hang-vi-vi-pham-quy-dinh-lien-quan-den-quyen-so-huu-clb-post1759534.tpo