Crystal Palace Demoted to Conference League Due to UEFA Multi-Club Rules

Crystal Palace have been dropped from the UEFA Europa League to the UEFA Europa Conference League following a ruling by UEFA over multi-club ownership regulations.

The Eagles had qualified for the Europa League after a stunning FA Cup final victory over Manchester City at Wembley, sealed by Eberechi Eze’s decisive goal. However, their spot has now been revoked because of ownership conflicts tied to investor John Textor, who also holds a significant stake in French club Lyon.

Lyon were initially at risk of being barred from European competition due to financial irregularities but won an appeal to remain in Ligue 1 and regain Europa League admission. That successful appeal came at a cost to Palace, who have now been shifted to the third-tier UEFA competition.

UEFA, in a statement, said it had decided to:

“Accept Olympique Lyonnais’ admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League; and… reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League and accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League.”

Crystal Palace retain the right to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).