Crystal Palace ultras to hold furious protest march against Uefa after Eagles booted out of Europa League
The Eagles are
next
season for breaching multi-club ownership rules.
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Crystal Palace ultras have announced plans to hold a protest against the club's 'unjust' relegation from the Europa League next season
Credit: Getty
5
Palace lost their place in the Europa League due to John Textor's multi-club ownership
Credit: AFP
American businessman John Textor owns a stake in Palace and is also the majority owner of French club
Lyon
, who also qualified for the Europa League
next
season.
The rules of European football's governing body state clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition.
Uefa's rules set a
deadline
of March 1 2025 to show proof of multi-club ownership restructuring - a
deadline
which Palace missed.
FA Cup
winners Palace in the Europa League
next
term.
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And now raging Palace fans have planned a protest to start from Norwood Clocktower to Selhurst Park on Tuesday night at 7:30pm.
The ultras are demanding answers and hinted at unfair treatment from Uefa, who they claim are often influenced by other clubs with more "prestige and money".
A statement from the Holmesdale Fanatics read: "
Uefa
's decision to demote
football
as a whole.
"A team has won the oldest cup competition in the world and, with it, its first piece of silverware in the club's
history
.
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"A dream not unique to Palace fans but one shared by supporters of clubs across the country.
"To then have the deserved prize of Europa League
football
unjustifiably taken away is emblematic of a European
football
governing body disconnected from the true values that makes the sport adored by fans everywhere.
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"It is indicative of why so many fans have fallen out with the modern game.
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"We call this protest not just for Palace's position in the Europa League to be reinstated, but with all
football
fans in mind.
"Many clubs could be the
next
to be ruled against for lacking the historical prestige and financial resources to influence
Uefa
for their own gain."
The X post was captioned with: "Time to act. Please share widely."
It will take for around 12 minutes for the marchers to get from the meet-up point to Selhurst Park.
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Palace are appealing against the decision to boot the club out of the Europa League
Credit: 2021 Sebastian Frej/MB Media
A timeline - why Palace have been demoted
March 1:
Uefa's deadline passes for clubs in multi-club groups to change their ownership structure.
At that point, Crystal Palace were 12th in the Premier League and in the FA Cup fifth round.
April 30:
It is revealed Evangelos Marinakis has removed himself from control of Nottingham Forest, putting his shares into a blind trust when it looked like Forest would qualify for the Champions League alongside Olympiakos, also owned by the Greek billionaire.
May 17:
Palace win the FA Cup by beating Manchester City 1-0 and qualify for the Europa League.
On the same day, Lyon qualify for the Europa League on the final day of the Ligue 1 season. But Lyon face the prospect of Uefa sanctions for over spending rules.
May 25:
Forest fail to qualify for the Champions League on the final day of the Premier League season but reach the Conference League instead, so Marinakis takes back control of the club.
June 3:
Uefa meet with Palace executives in Switzerland to discuss whether the Eagles are able to play in Europe next season.
John Textor and Steve Parish attend the meeting to fight Palace's case.
June 9:
It is revealed
June 25:
It is announced that Lyon have been relegated from Ligue 1 after failing to convince authorities they have resolved their financial difficulties.
July 9:
Lyon's appeal is upheld, meaning they are reinstated to Ligue 1 and their spot in the Europa League is confirmed.
July 11
: Palace's demotion to the Conference League is announced by Uefa, with the Eagles saying they will appeal the decision.
As FA Cup winners, Palace won a spot in the Europa League for the 2025/26 campaign after beating Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley eight weeks ago.
But that was brought into question with
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Textor - who Palace argue did not have overall control of the club - sold his 43 per cent stake to
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson
- albeit after the March 1
deadline
.
He then resigned from his leadership roles at
Lyon
when they
were relegated to Ligue 2
after failing to convince authorities they have resolved their financial difficulties.
This appeared to pave the way for Palace's Europa League participation.
But, there was further uncertainty on Wednesday when
Lyon won their appeal
against their relegation and were reinstated to Ligue 1 - meaning they are able to take up their Europa League spot.
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Textor also owns French club Lyon, who qualified for the Europa League by finishing sixth in Ligue 1
Credit: Getty
5
Palace chairman Steve Parish slammed 'ludicrous' Uefa for permitting 'the biggest injustice in the history of football'
Palace argued Textor does not hold any decisive influence at the club, but the Premier League side's defence was not accepted.
Club chief Steve
history
of football'.
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Parish said on Friday that Johnson had passed the Premier League's owners' and directors' test and that everyone at Palace feel they have been made an example of by Uefa.
Uefa rejects any claim that Palace have been harshly treated. It regards the case as a clear breach of the regulations, saying on Friday it had reached that conclusion after an 'assessment of the documentation submitted' by Lyon and Palace.
Forest's place has not yet been confirmed, with Uefa's Club Financial Control Body waiting until the outcome of the
Court
of Arbitration for Sport appeal.
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