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The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed Crystal Palace's appeal against their demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League, according to PA Media. The decisive ruling confirms UEFA's enforcement of multi-club ownership regulations and finalises Nottingham Forest's promotion to Europe's second-tier competition.
The CAS panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, held decisive influence over both Crystal Palace and Lyon at the time of UEFA's assessment, as PA Media reports. This breach of UEFA's multi-club ownership rules triggered the original demotion decision in July.
Crystal Palace's argument that they received unfair treatment compared to Nottingham Forest and Lyon was rejected by the three-member panel, according to PA Media. The CAS ruling stated that UEFA regulations are clear and provide no flexibility for clubs found non-compliant on the assessment date.
Historic European return
Nottingham Forest will now take Crystal Palace's place in the Europa League for the 2025/26 season, marking their return to European competition for the first time in three decades, as the Nottingham Post reports. The promotion represents a remarkable achievement for Nuno Espirito Santo's side following their successful Premier League campaign.
The expedited CAS hearing took place on August 8 in Lausanne, Switzerland, just two and a half weeks after Palace filed their appeal on July 21, according to PA Media. The panel was composed of Prof Luigi Fumagalli as president, alongside Manfred P Nan and Olivier Carrard.
Palace's trophy success overshadowed
Despite the European setback, Crystal Palace enjoyed their most successful season in club history, as independent sources report. The Eagles won both the FA Cup, defeating Manchester City, and the Community Shield, marking their first major trophies.
Independent sources suggest that Woody Johnson, the controversial New York Jets owner, acquired John Textor's 42.9% stake for approximately £200 million in an attempt to resolve the ownership conflict. However, this transaction came too late to influence UEFA's assessment timeline.
Palace fans had organised sophisticated protests, including travelling to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, and delivering fake money to highlight what they saw as contradictions in UEFA's financial regulations, according to independent sources. The CAS decision renders these efforts unsuccessful.
Sources used: "PA Media", "Nottingham Post", "independent sources" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
