FA Cup winners Crystal Palace have been demoted to the Conference League by UEFA, while Nottingham Forest will now play in the Europa League.
Crystal Palace was sanctioned by UEFA for violating its multi-club ownership regulations. According to the rule, clubs owned by the same person or group are not allowed to participate in the same UEFA competition if that person or group is thought to have a significant influence over more than one of those teams.
Although the Court of Arbitration for Sport has not yet made a decision, Nottingham Forest is anticipated to take their position in the tournament.
John Textor, the owner of Lyon and the biggest shareholder in Crystal Palace, had until March 1 to settle the ownership disputes between the clubs. The US billionaire Woody Johnson recently agreed to buy Textor’s Palace shares, but the deal hasn’t been finalized and was thought to have come too late.
Similar penalties were anticipated for Lyon as well, but they were able to secure their spot in the tournament after winning their appeal against relegation to Ligue 2.
The demotion will be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Crystal Palace officials have disclosed.
