Crystal Palace launch attack on Uefa and call ownership rules a ‘charade'

Times

2 days ago

Crystal Palace have launched a furious attack on Uefa after losing their appeal against being excluded from the Europa League.
Palace claimed Uefa's rules allowing clubs with the same owners to set up blind trusts to play in the same European competition are 'a charade', that certain clubs are favoured, and that it was 'almost impossible to receive a fair hearing'.
As first revealed by The Times, the FA Cup winners will have to compete in the Conference League instead after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a Uefa ruling that Palace had not put arrangements in place before a March 1 deadline to comply with multi-club ownership restrictions. Nottingham Forest will now play in the Europa League.
Palace won the Community Shield by beating Liverpool in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley on Sunday and begin their Premier League season on Sunday, away against Chelsea. Their first European fixture will be in the Conference League play-off round on August 21, when they will play either Danish side Midtjylland or Norwegians Fredrikstad.
'At a time when we should be celebrating our victory in the Community Shield at Wembley, the decision by Uefa and followed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport shows that sporting merit is rendered meaningless,' a statement from Palace read.
'When we won the FA Cup against Manchester City on that momentous day in May, our manager and players earned the right to play Europa League football. We have been denied that opportunity. It appears that certain clubs, organisations and individuals have a unique privilege and power.
'This growing and unhealthy influence has shattered the hopes and dreams of Crystal Palace supporters, and does not bode well for aspirational teams all over Europe competing to progress when rules and sanctions are unevenly applied in the most flagrant way.'
Last season both Manchester City and their Spanish sister club, Girona, and Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's French club, Nice, were ­allowed to compete in the same European competition. Blind trusts were set up for Girona and Nice, with club ­directors linked to City and United ­respectively stepping down from the boards.
'Multi-club structures hide behind the charade of a 'blind trust' while clubs such as ours, who have no connection to another club whatsoever, are prevented from playing in the same competition,' the Palace statement continued.
'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. This should be a turning point for football. Uefa must fulfil its mandate to pass coherent rules which are properly communicated and applied, with reasonable cure periods to resolve uncertainty and consistent sanctions, treating all clubs equally with a proper appeal process.'