Crystal Palace's Appeal Against UEFA Decision Dismissed by Court of Arbitration for Sport

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Monday that it has dismissed Crystal Palace's appeal against UEFA's ruling that dropped them from the Europa League to the third-tier Conference League. The UEFA decision came as a result of the ownership connections between Eagle Football Group, which held majority ownership of Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon), and John Textor, who had a controlling interest in Palace at the time of UEFA's assessment.

Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, will take over Palace's spot in the Europa League. The CAS panel stated that Textor had significant stakes in both clubs and served on their boards, thus concluding that Crystal Palace was treated fairly in relation to Lyon and Nottingham Forest.

Following UEFA's decision, Crystal Palace, who qualified for the Europa League through their FA Cup victory, filed their appeal last month, just before Robert Wood Johnson finalized his acquisition of Eagle Football Holdings' stake in the club. Textor has since resigned from Lyon’s board, with Michele Kang stepping in as the new chairwoman and president.

Since both clubs qualified for the Europa League, Lyon retained their position based on a higher league finish, having ended the season sixth in Ligue 1 compared to Palace's 12th in the Premier League. Lyon expressed their satisfaction with the CAS ruling, confirming their continued participation in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace, successful in the Community Shield against Liverpool, now looks ahead to the qualifying playoff round of the Conference League later this month.