
Crystal Palace demoted to UEFA Conference League for multi-club breach
Under UEFA multi-club ownership rules, Lyon have been allowed to keep their place in the second-tier competition of European football as they finished higher in Ligue 1 (6th) than Palace (12th) in the Premier League last season.
Palace qualified for European competition for the first time by winning the FA Cup in May - the club's first ever major trophy.
Textor has since agreed to sell his 43 percent stake in the London club to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
However, that deal is yet to be completed and was struck well after UEFA's deadline of March 1 for multi-club conflicts to be resolved.
A decision on Palace's fate had been delayed by a separate case that initially saw Lyon relegated to the second tier of French football due to financial problems.
The seven-time French champions won an appeal against that decision on Wednesday after Textor stood aside from the day-to-day running of the club.
Palace are expected to appeal the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Nottingham Forest, who had qualified for the Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, will replace Palace in the Europa League, a UEFA source told AFP.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Brussels says EU-US deal 'better than trade war' with Trump
"I'm 100 percent sure that this deal is better than a trade war with the United States," EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic told journalists. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday struck an accord with US President Donald Trump that will see exports from the bloc subjected to 15 percent tariffs -- but no tariffs for US exports to Europe. The agreement meant Brussels staved off a threat from Trump to hit Europe with levies twice as high if no deal was struck by August 1. But it still drew stinging criticism from some European capitals and industries who accused the EU of giving in too easily to the US leader. "It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resorts to submission," French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou wrote on X. Sefcovic urged those taking issue with the deal to "pause for the moment and consider the alternative". "A trade war may seem appealing to some, but it comes with serious consequences. With at least a 30 percent tariff, our transatlantic trade would effectively come to a halt," he said.


France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Three things we learned from Belgian F1 Grand Prix
While old school racers including multiple champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen favoured a prompt start on a tricky circuit, younger drivers and team chiefs preferred to back race director Rui Marques's caution and wait for dry weather. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday's race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit: Safety first option sparks lively debate Piastri secured his sixth win of the season, with great aplomb that makes him favourite to beat McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to the drivers' title. The Australian's consistency and mental strength helped him into a 16-point lead after 13 of this year's 24 races, but his drive was overshadowed by post-race arguments about racing in the rain. Ferrari's Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen slammed the long delay and choice of rolling start, but others including Mercedes' George Russell and Williams' Carlos Sainz backed the "safety first" decision at a track with a dark history of fatal accidents. "We could've gone miles earlier, an hour earlier," said Verstappen. "It was a shame. It just ruins a nice classic wet race. Either we push to go for a wet race -- or we just stop racing in the wet... and wait for it to be dry. But that's not what you want, right?" Verstappen's car was set up for extreme wet conditions, as forecast, but the decision meant he and others were disadvantaged. He finished fourth. Triumphant McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, celebrating a sixth 1-2 this year, praised the move. "I think the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA," he said. "We knew there was a lot of rain coming and I think at a circuit like this if you make the calls late, it may be too late -- and the outcome could be difficult." He emphasised the unique risks of the high-speed track through the forested valleys of the Ardennes. "I understand it would be entertaining, but the average speed is so high at Spa that in wet conditions it's impossible to see." New Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies, in his first outing after replacing Christian Horner, said: "I think we were all surprised by how late we started." The former FIA deputy race and safety director added: "Fundamentally, we waited not only for the rain to stop, but also pretty much for the sun to come out -- and then we still had many laps behind the safety car. "I'm sure the FIA had its reasons, but in our case, having based the car towards wet running, it cost us performance, but, it's all part of the game." Red Bull win despite Verstappen losing Verstappen's fourth-placed finish had one upside for Mekies as a performance break clause in his contract lapsed. According to paddock sources, the Dutchman had a right to leave for 2026 if he was outside the top three drivers at the end of July, but his points in Belgium, including a sprint race win on Saturday, mean he cannot be overhauled. Verstappen is third behind the McLaren duo but 28 points ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, whose future was under threat from Verstappen's possible arrival. He cannot catch him even if he wins in Hungary this week. Hamilton eyes turning the corner Hamilton's roller-coaster ride since joining Ferrari continued as he went from 18th, and a pit lane start, to finish seventh. On Saturday, he apologised to Ferrari for his "unacceptable" qualifying while critics noted that, at 40, he was struggling to cope –- two days after revealing he had bombarded senior Ferrari staff with memos for team improvements. After seeing him storm through the field, team chief Fred Vasseur joked Hamilton was now "engineering the car himself", before the Briton revealed he had invited a former Mercedes engineer to join his team. "We'll get stronger together now," he promised.


France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Orban says Trump 'ate' EU chief 'for breakfast' in trade talks
01:40 28/07/2025 Trump, Starmer to meet in Scotland, with trade and Gaza on agenda Europe 28/07/2025 Syria: France 24 gains rare access to war-torn Sweida after deadly clashes 28/07/2025 Gaza: Humanitarian aid starts trickling in after a four-month blockade Middle East 28/07/2025 Oxfam: 'It's an engineered starvation campaign against civilians, women and children, in Gaza Strip' Middle East 28/07/2025 Ukraine: Former POWs struggle to rebuild their lives 28/07/2025 Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas to allow 'minimal' aid as hunger grows 28/07/2025 US and EU strike deal with 15% tariff to avert trade war 28/07/2025 Euro 2025 final: England beat Spain in penalty shootout 28/07/2025 Turkey battles wildfires amid strong winds, heatwave