Crystal Palace lose appeal against Europa League demotion
The London club, who won last season's FA Cup, fell foul of UEFA's rules governing multi-club ownership.
European football's governing body determined that as of March 1, American businessman John Textor had control or influence in Palace and French club Lyon.
It means under UEFA rules they are unable to compete in the same European competition and Lyon held on to the Europa League spot by virtue of their higher league position.
Palace appealed to CAS last month after Textor agreed to sell his 43 per cent stake in the Premier League club to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
However, that deal was struck well after UEFA's deadline of March 1 for multi-club conflicts to be resolved.
"After considering the evidence, the Panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a Board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA's assessment date," CAS said in a statement.
"The Panel considered that the UEFA Regulations are clear and do not provide flexibility to clubs that are non-compliant on the assessment date, as CPFC claimed."
Palace, who beat Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield after a 2-2 draw at Wembley on Sunday, will enter the UEFA Conference League in the play-off round later this month.
Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, are set to replace Palace in the second-tier Europa League. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
28 minutes ago
- The Star
Soccer-Palace mull legal steps after losing appeal over Europa League demotion
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FA Cup - Final - Crystal Palace v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 17, 2025 Crystal Palace players huddle before the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) -Crystal Palace said on Tuesday they are seeking legal advice on possible next steps after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the club's appeal against UEFA's decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Conference League. European soccer's governing body made the decision over Palace's multi-club ownership rule breach because at the time of assessment on March 1 the John Textor-founded Eagle Football Group were majority owners of fellow Europa League side Olympique Lyonnais and also held shares in Palace. U.S. businessman Textor's Eagle Football Holdings sold their stake in Palace last month. However, CAS upheld UEFA's ruling on Monday, and dismissed Palace's argument that the club received unfair treatment in comparison to Lyon and Nottingham Forest, with the latter replacing them in the Europa League. "The decision by UEFA and followed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport shows that sporting merit is rendered meaningless," Palace, who had qualified for the Europa League as FA Cup winners, said in a statement. "It appears that certain clubs, organisations and individuals have a unique privilege and power ... while we respect the CAS tribunal members, the process is designed to severely restrict and, in our case, make it almost impossible to receive a fair hearing. "UEFA's decision has wider implications for the governance of the sport. A combination of poorly conceived regulations and their unequal application means our brilliant fans will be deprived of the chance to watch this team compete in the Europa League for the first time in our history." UEFA and CAS were not immediately available to comment. Palace said the European Court of Justice's ruling earlier this month, which allows national courts to conduct in-depth reviews of arbitral awards by CAS to ensure they are compliant with EU law, will ensure greater scrutiny of sport's top court. "Only then will fairness and due process be granted to every team," Palace added. "Although we continue to take legal advice on the next steps, we will compete in the Conference League." Palace, who won the Community Shield on Sunday with victory over Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties, are in the Conference League qualifying playoff round later this month. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Europe on radar as AirAsia X to start KL-Istanbul direct service on Nov 14
PETALING JAYA: AirAsia X Bhd (AAX) will return to Europe for the first time in over a decade with the launch of a direct service between Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul, Turkiye, starting Nov 14. The new route, operated four times weekly on an Airbus A330-300, will connect Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. Speaking at the launch, AAX CEO Benyamin Ismail said Istanbul had 'always been a dream destination for many of our guests' and was a natural next step following the airline's expansion into Central Asia. 'Hot on the heels of our recent growth into Central Asia, this long-awaited route takes us one step closer to delivering longer connectivity across continents. As the only city in the world built on two continents, Istanbul perfectly captures our vision to bridge Asia and beyond through affordable, medium-haul travel,' he added. He said Turkiye is already one of Malaysians' favourite holiday destinations, with 22 weekly flights currently offered by other carriers. 'With us, it will be an added benefit because we will offer the cheapest fare,' he said, adding that the important thing is that they want to connect with people who have never flown before from Europe or Turkiye to Kuala Lumpur and onto their network of 130 destinations. He also pointed to untapped potential in Indonesia and the Philippines. Turkiye, ranked fourth in the world for most international visitors, is seen by AAX as a high-priority market. The airline plans to start with four flights a week and, if demand is strong, increase to daily within six to 12 months. 'This is our first European destination in this new phase. For 2026, we are looking at London, Azerbaijan, Russia, all very exciting markets,' said Benyamin. He acknowledged that the launch had been delayed due to Middle East airspace closures. 'We should have started earlier, but we held back. Now we see things are okay, so this is the best time,' he said. AAX has ordered Airbus A330XLRs for future medium-haul routes of five to eight hours, targeting destinations in Central Asia, India, smaller Australian cities and Japan. Turkey Ambassador to Malaysia Emir Salim Yüksel hailed the new route as a 'tangible step' in strengthening bilateral ties. 'We established diplomatic relations in 1964 and last year celebrated the 60th anniversary. This air link will not only boost tourism flows but also expand business links, foster industry collaboration and open new pathways for education, innovation and people-to-people engagement,' he said. Nearly 93,000 Malaysians visited Türkiye last year, with the figure expected to surpass 100,000 in 2025. To mark the milestone, AAX is offering promotional all-in one-way fares from RM499 for economy and RM3,999 for premium flatbed. The promotion runs until Aug 20 for travel between Nov 14, 2025 and Sept 14, 2026, bookable via or the AirAsia MOVE app. Passengers can also enjoy up to 45% off checked baggage.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-FA imposes eight-week ban on former referee Coote for Klopp comments
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Manchester United - London Stadium, London, Britain - October 27, 2024 Referee David Coote awards a penalty to West Ham United REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File Photo (Reuters) -Former Premier League referee David Coote was sanctioned and given an eight-week ban by the Football Association on Tuesday in relation to comments he made about former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp in a video that went viral last year. Coote had been sacked by English soccer referees' body PGMOL after a video, recorded in July 2020, circulated on social media showing the official allegedly abusing Klopp and after a full investigation, his position was deemed untenable. The 43-year-old was charged by the FA in June and an independent Regulatory Commission has now imposed an eight-week suspension and mandatory face-to-face education programme on him. Coote had admitted the charge. "It was alleged that contrary to FA Rule E3.1 the referee acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words about Jurgen Klopp in a video that was recorded around July 2020 and appeared on social media in November 2024," the FA said. "It was also alleged that his actions constitute an 'Aggravated Breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as they included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality." Europe's soccer governing body also said Coote was banned from any UEFA refereeing activity until June 2026. Coote has apologised for his actions. The Sun also published a video which the newspaper said showed Coote appearing to snort white powder during his time working as a match official at Euro 2024. (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
