Crystal Palace Fans Protest UEFA’s Europa League Ruling
Crystal Palace supporters have taken to the streets in protest after UEFA stripped the club of its Europa League place.
On Tuesday, 15 July, hundreds of fans marched from Norwood High Street to Selhurst Park in London, England, holding banners accusing the football governing body of prioritising bureaucracy over sporting merit.
Despite qualifying for the annual club competition through winning the Football Association Cup – Palace’s first ever major trophy – the Eagles were demoted to the Europa Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules.
The controversy centres around American businessman, John Textor, whose company holds significant stakes in both Palace and French side Lyon. UEFA regulations prohibit clubs with shared ownership from competing in the same European tournament.
Palace missed a 1 March restructuring deadline. However, Textor is now in the process of selling his shares to New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson.
Chairman Steve Parish called the ruling “probably one of the greatest injustices that has ever happened in European football.”
A petition demanding UEFA reverse the decision has gained thousands of signatures, while Palace prepare to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest take Palace’s Europa League slot as the Eagles now face a Conference League qualifier in August.
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