Crystal Palace demoted from Europa League to Conference League
It's after the south London club fell foul of multi-club ownership rules
Last updated 11th Jul 2025
Crystal Palace have been forced to drop down to the Conference League after falling foul of UEFA's rules on multi-club ownership.
Palace qualified for the Europa League thanks to their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May, but under Article Five of UEFA's club competition regulations, clubs wishing to be eligible for qualification in 2025-26 had to be able to demonstrate as of March 1 that no individual or legal entity had control or influence over more than one club in the same competition.
UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) determined that American businessman John Textor's interest in both Palace and Lyon meant only one of the clubs could enter the Europa League, with Lyon's higher league position edging out Palace.
Palace will drop into the Conference League, with Nottingham Forest expected to replace them in the Europa League, though this was not immediately confirmed by UEFA.
UEFA said the decision could be appealed against at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).