Crystal Palace fans protest at Selhurst Park about their demotion to the Uefa Conference League
Crystal Palace supporters have voiced their discontent with UEFA’s decision to relegate the club to the Europa Conference League.
On Tuesday, hundreds of fans marched towards Selhurst Park, the club’s home ground, brandishing banners and chanting in protest against the European football governing body.
The Eagles, initially set to participate in the Europa League after securing a victory in the FA Cup in May—their first major trophy—were demoted due to breaches of multi-club ownership regulations.
American businessman John Textor holds a stake in Crystal Palace while also being the majority owner of French club Lyon, who have likewise qualified for the Europa League.
UEFA regulations stipulate that clubs under the same ownership, beyond a certain threshold of influence, are prohibited from competing in the same European competition.
UEFA’s guidelines established a deadline of March 1, 2025, for clubs to demonstrate restructuring to address multi-club ownership concerns—a deadline that Palace failed to meet.
Textor is reportedly in the process of divesting his stake in Crystal Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
Nottingham Forest, who concluded the previous Premier League season in seventh place, are poised to take Palace’s place in the Europa League.
Palace are expected to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“Ultimately, it’s an injustice resulting from administrative errors. We earned qualification,” Nick Philpot from the Red and Blue Review podcast stated during the demonstration.
“Having won the cup, our entry should be guaranteed without any reservation.
“The entire club and its fanbase are being unfairly penalised. What rationale justifies that?”
Last week, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish characterised the decision as “a setback for football” and “a significant injustice.”
“We’ve been excluded from a European competition due to a trivial technicality,” he stated. “Supporters of every club should express their solidarity with us.”
UEFA has been contacted for comment regarding the matter.
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