Crystal Palace have been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League for the 2025-26 season following a UEFA ruling on the problem of multi-club possession involving the Eagles and Lyon.
Palace certified for the Europa League after beautiful Manchester City within the FA Cup closing in May to seize their first main trophy.
However, they and Lyon are each owned by American businessman John Textor. Lyon additionally certified for the Europa League after ending sixth in Ligue 1, with UEFA guidelines prohibiting two golf equipment with shared possession from taking part in in the identical competitors.
Lyon’s demotion from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2 final month appeared to have rendered the problem of multi-club possession moot. The French membership appealed the choice by the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) however agreed with UEFA that they might not play within the Europa League in the event that they misplaced the attraction.
However, their attraction was profitable, clearing Lyon to play in each Ligue 1 and the Europa League and placing Palace in jeopardy.
Textor agreed a deal to promote his stake in Palace to Woody Johnson, proprietor of the NFL’s New York Jets, final month. However, that deal has but to be accredited by the Premier League.
And that lack of ratification has proved pricey for Palace, with UEFA handing them a demotion meaning their place within the Europa League will seemingly go to Nottingham Forest, who certified for the Conference League by means of a seventh-placed end within the Premier League.
An announcement from UEFA learn: “The CFCB First Chamber had opened proceedings in opposition to Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais attributable to a possible battle with the multi-club possession rule supplied for in Article 5 of the UEFA Club Competitions Regulations.
“On 9 July 2025, the attraction occasion of the French monetary management authority (DNCG) determined to not relegate Olympique Lyonnais to Ligue 2. Consequently, and following an evaluation by the CFCB of all the opposite related circumstances included within the settlement settlement, Olympique Lyonnais is not going to be excluded from the 2025-26 UEFA membership competitions.
“Consequently, the CFCB First Chamber pursued the evaluation of the documentation submitted by Olympique Lyonnais and Crystal Palace and concluded that the golf equipment breached, as at 1 March 2025, the multi-club possession standards foreseen in Art 5.01 of the UEFA Club Competition Regulations.
“For this motive, and in accordance with the provisions set in Art. 5.02, 5.03 and 5.04 of the UEFA Club Competitions Regulations, the CFCB First Chamber determined: To settle for Olympique Lyonnais’ admission to the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League; and: To reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League and to just accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League.”
Palace can attraction the choice to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
