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BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
European demotion could galvanise Palace
Crystal Palace's demotion to the Uefa Conference League could "galvanise" the club and bring them closer together, says Chris Sutton. The Eagles beat Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield on Sunday but less than 24 hours later were told they had lost their appeal against being dropped from the Europa League. They had qualified for the competition after winning the FA Cup last season but were punished by Uefa for breaching multi-club ownership rules."I don't necessarily see it as having an effect on the players - this is the best period in the club's history," former Premier League striker Sutton said on 5 Live's Monday Night Club."On the footballing side of it, Palace just have to move on and get on with the season. And in many ways, it may actually galvanise the club. "It might bring them closer together, if that's possible." American businessman John Textor owned a 43% stake in Palace until he sold it in June and is the majority owner of Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa had until 1 March 2025 to show Uefa proof of multi-club ownership restructuring, but the club missed that ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) also means Nottingham Forest's spot in the Europa League is confirmed, having been promoted into the competition in Palace's place."They've won an FA Cup, they've won a Community Shield. So I think there's still a lot of excitement," Sutton added. "You still can't take away them winning the FA Cup; you still can't take away the great performance in the Community Shield. If you're a Palace fan, you love that. "You've got to focus on the positives, as much as anything. But it's certainly not ideal."Palace will face either Norwegian side Fredrikstad or Midtjylland of Denmark in the Conference League play-off round later this month. Rory Smith, football correspondent at the Observer, also thinks the ruling from Cas could work in Palace's favour."I think there is a very good chance this ends with Palace winning the Conference League - and they should not be in the Conference League, they should be in the Europa League," Smith said. "It's ridiculous that they're not and it's ridiculous Uefa couldn't say look, this is clearly just an administrative oversight." In July, Palace submitted an appeal to Cas against Uefa - which issued the punishment - as well as Lyon and Nottingham rules state clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European argued Textor did not hold any decisive influence at the club, but Uefa did not accept the Premier League side's defence."It may well be that - I don't know if it makes it bittersweet or just sweet or just bitter - Palace will be one of the three strongest teams in the Conference League," Smith continued. "There is a very good chance, especially if they keep Eberechi Eze and maybe Marc Guehi, that they end up with another trophy next season. "And it might be that the fans come to think of it as an unfortunate, [but] happy incident, I guess."
BBC News
5 minutes ago
- BBC News
Tributes paid to Leicester City stadium announcer Bradley Varnam
Tributes have been paid to Leicester City's long-serving stadium announcer Bradley Varnam, who has died after a short Varnam, who was 56, began his role with the club at the old Filbert Street stadium in 1997, and continued when the Foxes moved to the King Power Stadium in 2002. In a statement, the club said it was "deeply saddened" and he was "an enduring part of the matchday experience for generations of supporters".A club spokesperson said: "Over the years, Bradley's voice became the soundtrack to countless moments in the club's history – from the highs to the lows, and everything in between." The spokesperson added: "His presence on matchdays will be sorely missed by players, staff and supporters alike."On social media, former player Steve Walsh said: "Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Bradley Varnam."From my playing days at Filbert Street to my visits back to King Power, Brad was always there with a smile, a joke, and that legendary voice that became part of Leicester City's heartbeat."A true gent who loved the club and its people."
The Guardian
34 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Frustrated Crystal Palace count cost after Cas upholds Europa League ban
The news Steve Parish was dreading arrived less than 24 hours after he basked in the glory of watching Crystal Palace win their second trophy in three months. Parish had been confident the club's appeal against their demotion from the Europa League would succeed as he discussed their prospects in the bowels of Wembley stadium after the Community Shield victory against Liverpool on Sunday. 'I really am, even more after Friday,' the club chair said. 'I don't understand that we cannot be in the competition. I really can't. But it's up to the judges to decide. We trust them and that they listened to everything we said so let's see.' Confirmation from the court of arbitration for sport that it had upheld the decision made by Uefa's club financial control body to punish Palace for breaching its multi-club ownership rules has brought Parish and the team's supporters back to earth. The Cas statement made clear the role of John Textor, the American businessman who last month sold his 43% stake in Palace to the New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson, was decisive. Textor has admitted that seconds after Palace's victory against Manchester City in May's FA Cup final that he feared for the worst regarding participation in the Europa League, given that he owns Lyon, who also qualified. The Cas panel – consisting of a Dutch former striker, a Swiss former fencer who competed in the 1984 Olympics and an Italian professor – backed Uefa's findings that Textor 'was a board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of Uefa's assessment date'. It also dismissed Palace's argument that they had received unfair treatment compared to Nottingham Forest and Lyon, and said missing the 1 March deadline for Textor to place his shares into a blind trust had been crucial. Textor has been the target of most Palace fans' frustration, although several have also taken aim at the Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis. Forest, who are poised to take Palace's Europa League place, wrote to Uefa a few weeks after the FA Cup final expressing concern that Palace may have contravened multi-club ownership regulations. Parish suggested last month in an interview with Gary Lineker that their Premier League rivals had played a role in the decision to ban them. 'We were told that and I think it's been made public,' he said. 'These things seem to be played out in public. There doesn't seem to be a lot of confidentiality that comes out of certain organisations. But we're led to believe that that's the issue – if there wasn't somebody that wanted to get in as a consequence, then there wouldn't be a problem. 'People have got to look at themselves. Some people will say it's fine, some people will say it's not. I don't really have control of that. I only have control of the arguments that we put forward to Uefa.' Forest declined to comment on Parish's remarks at the time. Palace's case is believed to have included evidence that only members of the European Club Association were informed Uefa's 1 March deadline for complying with multi-club rules could be extended until 31 May – a fact that enabled Marinakis to place Forest into a blind trust when it seemed they might qualify for the Champions League along with his Greek club, Olympiakos. Palace are also understood to have highlighted the burgeoning friendship between Marinakis and Textor. The American denies that had any bearing on his conduct and described as untrue reports he is planning to incorporate his Brazilian club Botafogo into the Greek shipping magnate's network of clubs. Forest sent a legal delegation to the Cas hearing to argue their case and they have been silent since Palace were demoted by Uefa last month. Marinakis has resumed control of shares in the two-time European champions after they finished seventh in the Premier League. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Their supporters can look forward to the Europa League's league stage while Palace prepare for a Conference League playoff against the losers of the Europa League qualifier between Norway's Fredrikstad and Midtjylland of Denmark. Midtjylland lead 3-1 going into their home leg on Thursday. It is estimated demotion will cost Palace up to £20m in lost revenue, given the Conference League's league stage has two fewer games than the Europa League's, although Oliver Glasner will fancy his chances of winning a competition that has had two English winners in its first four editions. The chance for Palace to play in Europe for the first time since a short-lived Intertoto Cup experience in 1998, when they qualified after being the only English team to apply for entry, will be consolation for a club that also missed out in 1991 when they finished third in the old First Division. Only the top two went into Europe via league position.
