Palace hit out at Cas and Uefa after losing appeal

Crystal Palace person said "sporting merit is rendered meaningless" aft losing their entreaty against demotion from nan Europa League to nan Conference League.

After winning nan FA Cup past season, Palace qualified for Europe's secondary title but were punished by Uefa for breaching multi-club ownership rules.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) sided pinch Europe's governing assemblage connected Monday.

In a powerfully worded statement, Palace said it was "almost intolerable to person a adjacent hearing."

"The determination by Uefa and followed by nan Court of Arbitration for Sport shows that sporting merit is rendered meaningless," Palace said.

"It appears that definite clubs, organisations and individuals person a unsocial privilege and power.

"This increasing and unhealthy power has shattered nan hopes and dreams of Crystal Palace supporters, and does not bode good for aspirational teams each complete Europe competing to advancement erstwhile rules and sanctions are unevenly applied successful nan astir flagrant way."

Palace added they will "continue to return ineligible proposal connected nan adjacent steps" arsenic they hole to compete successful nan Conference League.

BBC Sport has contacted Uefa for a response.

Nottingham Forest vanished seventh successful nan Premier League past play and person been promoted to nan Europa League successful Palace's place.

"Multi-club structures hide down nan charade of a 'blind trust' while clubs specified arsenic ours, who person nary relationship to different nine whatsoever, are prevented from playing successful nan aforesaid competition," Palace said.

"To compound nan injustice, clubs that look to person immense informal arrangements pinch each different are besides allowed to participate and moreover perchance play against each other."

The Eagles had until 1 March 2025 to show Uefa impervious of multi-club ownership restructuring, but missed nan deadline.

American businessman John Textor owned a 43% liking successful Palace but sold it successful June and is nan mostly proprietor of Lyon, who person besides qualified for nan Europa League.

Cas said that Textor "still had decisive power complete some clubs" astatine nan clip of Uefa's assessment.

The sheet besides dismissed Palace's statement that they received unfair curen successful comparison to Nottingham Forest and Lyon.

There is precedent for teams being sanctioned by Uefa and for Cas to uphold that determination for breaching multi-club ownership rules.

Irish Premier Division broadside Drogheda qualified for nan 2025-26 Conference League but person been expelled from Europe owed to US-based Trivela Group besides owning Danish broadside Silkeborg, who besides earned a spot successful nan competition.

"Uefa's determination has wider implications for nan governance of nan sport," Palace added.

"This should beryllium a turning constituent for football. Uefa must fulfil its instruction to walk coherent rules which are decently communicated and applied, pinch reasonable cure periods to resoluteness uncertainty and accordant sanctions, treating each clubs arsenic pinch a due entreaty process.

"The European Court of Justice has made it clear that rulings akin to this will beryllium nether greater scrutiny from nationalist courts successful future. Only past will fairness and owed process beryllium granted to each team."

Palace will look either Norwegian broadside Fredrikstad aliases Midtjylland of Denmark successful nan Conference League play-off information later this month.