Crystal Palace Unleash Fury at UEFA After Brutal Europa League Elimination
Crystal Palace have issued a strongly-worded statement condemning UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, criticizing the governing body's decision to relegate them from the upcoming Europa League campaign.
The Eagles secured their place in Europe's secondary club tournament following their FA Cup triumph last season, but were downgraded to the Conference League due to Lyon also qualifying for the same competition while sharing common part-owner John Textor.
Multi-club ownership regulations prevent two teams from participating in identical competitions when they have a shared influential figure, and Palace's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport failed despite arguing that Textor, who has since left the club, held no meaningful control over the Eagles' decision-making.
Other clubs have successfully worked around these restrictions previously. Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig have both participated in the Champions League, while City Football Group implemented adequate structural modifications to secure approval for both Manchester City and Girona to compete simultaneously.
Palace, who overlooked several UEFA emails alerting them to the deadline for implementing necessary changes, have now issued a harsh statement claiming certain clubs enjoy "a unique privilege and power."
"During a period when we should be celebrating our Community Shield victory at Wembley, the ruling by UEFA and subsequently upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport demonstrates that sporting achievement becomes irrelevant," Palace stated.
"Multi-club ownership structures conceal themselves behind the facade of a "blind trust" while clubs like ours, who maintain no association with another club whatsoever, are blocked from competing in the same tournament. Adding to this unfairness, clubs that seemingly have substantial informal connections with each other are permitted to participate and potentially face one another."
Palace continued by demanding a "watershed moment for football" as they urged UEFA to reform the multi-club ownership regulations.
"UEFA's ruling carries broader consequences for football governance," the Community Shield champions added. "A mixture of poorly designed regulations and their inconsistent enforcement means our exceptional supporters will be denied the opportunity to witness this squad compete in the Europa League for the first time in our club's history.
"UEFA must honor its responsibility to establish clear rules that are effectively communicated and implemented, with reasonable timeframes to address uncertainties and uniform penalties, treating all clubs fairly with an appropriate appeals mechanism."