Crystal Palace Calls Emergency New York Summit After UEFA Demotion

Crystal Palace’s board and owners are gathering urgently in New York after UEFA placed the FA Cup winners in the Conference League instead of the Europa League. The club believes they deserve the European spot and plans to fight the ruling.

According to a previous report, Crystal Palace is awaiting UEFA’s verdict on their Europa League application.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Crystal Palace was set to play in the Europa League after winning their first FA Cup. However, on Friday, UEFA decided to move them to the Conference League because of a multi-club ownership issue. John Textor, the former majority shareholder, also owns French side Lyon. Both clubs qualified for European competition this season, triggering the sanction.

He won the FA Cup in the 2024/25 season.

THE FIGHT FOR FAIRNESS

Many at the club feel the punishment is unfair. Chairman Steve Parish has made it clear that Palace plans to appeal. He described the decision as unjust. The situation worsened when Lyon narrowly escaped relegation from Ligue 1. Both clubs remained eligible for continental football, so UEFA’s policies applied. The club argues that their FA Cup win rightfully earned them the Europa League spot.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR PALACE?

Palace’s representatives will work on the appeal before European qualifying rounds begin. If the appeal fails, the Eagles will compete in the Conference League instead of the Europa League. Last season, Palace finished 12th in the Premier League, securing ample safety.

In the 2024/25 season, Crystal Palace finished 12th in the Premier League.

Despite the appeal’s result, the team’s next match is a preseason friendly, but fans continue to wait for the news of their team’s European journey.

They begin their pre-season against Millwall on July 12.