CRYSTAL Palace have officially been banned from the Europa League and relegated to the Conference League.
The Eagles won the in May after ‘s goal secured a 1-0 win over and the club’s first major domestic trophy.
Qualification to Uefa’s second biggest club competition ordinarily comes with winning the FA Cup.
But Palace won’t feature in the Europa League next season – brings you the reason why.
Why have Crystal Palace been relegated to the Conference League?
Crystal Palace have been banned from competing in the Europa League for being in the same multi-club ownership group as French giantsafter thedisengagement deadline of April 30.
The ban was expected after Lyon won their appeal against relegation to Ligue 2 after they were demoted for financial reasons.
Following the successful appeal, Les Gones are now allowed to feature in the Europa League following their sixth-placed finish in the French top flight last term.
Eagle Football Holdings – owned by John Textor – holds stakes in both Palace and Lyon, and Uefa rules state that clubs owned to a certain threshold of influence by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition.
The American businessman recently agreed to sell his shares in the London club to billionaire Woody Johnson, but the sale has not been completed and is deemed too late.
Uefa chiefs have ruled that Palace must play in the Conference League and make a European bow in a play-off next month – with, who finished 7th in the Prem,set to be promoted in their place.
It will cost Palace an immediate £3.9m in Uefa appearance money – boosting Forest by the same amount.
In a statement, Uefa said its Club Financial Control Body confirmed the decision by French financial chiefs had cleared Lyon’s path to take up their place in the Europa League.
Uefa added: “Consequently, the CFCB pursued the assessment of the documentation submitted by Lyons and Crystal Palace and concluded that the clubs breached, as at 1 March 2025, the multi-club ownership criteria foreseen in Art 5.01 of the Uefa Club Competition Regulations.
“For this reason the CFCB First Chamber decided: To accept Lyons’ admission to the 2025/26 Europa League.
“And to reject Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 Uefa Europa League and to accept Crystal Palace’s admission to the 2025/26 Uefa Conference League.”;
The Eagles are certain to appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to get the ruling overturned.
