Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Crystal Palace Demoted to Conference League After UEFA Blow

Europa League Dream Ends As UEFA Demote Eagles a Tier.

Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Crystal Palace made history last year when they qualified for the Europa League. However, that has been undone after UEFA ruled the club breached its multi-club ownership regulations. The south London side qualified after winning the FA Cup against Manchester City in May.

They secured their first major European berth. However, after the demolition, they will now compete in the UEFA Europa Conference League instead. The trouble stemmed from Eagle Football’s 43% ownership of Palace, controlled by John Textor.

🚨 OFFICIAL: UEFA announce Crystal Palace won’t be playing in the Europa League next season.

Palace to play in the Conference League per UEFA rules. pic.twitter.com/kuiGpiQVGq
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 11, 2025

He also holds a majority stake in French side Lyon. Both clubs qualified for the Europa League. UEFA’s rules prohibit entities with ‘decisive influence’ over more than one club from competing in the same tournament. Palace argued that Textor’s influence was minimal.

They pointed to his agreement on June 23 to sell his stake to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. However, the sale came after UEFA’s March 1 deadline for resolving ownership conflicts. As a result, UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) rejected Palace’s admission to the Europa League.

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They confirmed Crystal Palace’s demotion in a statement: “The CFCB First Chamber decided to reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League and to accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League.”

Appeal Planned, Nottingham Forest on Standby

The Eagles plan to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If their appeal fails, Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, are expected to replace Palace in the Europa League. However, UEFA stated that confirmation will only come after the appeal process concludes.

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This is not the first time Palace have been denied European football under unusual circumstances. In 1991, they finished third in the top flight but missed out on UEFA Cup qualification due to the ban on English clubs following the Heysel disaster.

The club maintains that it operated independently of Lyon and questions UEFA’s interpretation of the rules. Unless CAS overturn the ruling, this outcome threatens to overshadow one of the club’s historic moments.

Conference League

Crystal Palace

Europa League

UEFA

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.