Premier League side Crystal Palace has filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding their relegation from the Europa League to the Conference League.

The demotion for The Eagles is based on a breach of multi-club ownership rules, as American businessman John Textor owns a stake in the club and is the majority owner of Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League.

The appeal by Palace seeks to overturn the ruling made by UEFA’s financial control authority and to be reinstated in the Europa League, replacing either Forest or Lyon.

A decision is anticipated on or before August 11, with the Europa League group stage starting September 24.

The regulations set by the governing body of European football indicate that clubs owned by the same individual or organisation within a specific level of influence are prohibited from participating in the same European competition.

According to Articles 5.1 and 5.2 of UEFA’s Club Competitions Regulations, rules on multi-club ownership are designed to prevent collusion and specifically prohibit individuals or entities from participating in the management, administration, or sporting performance of more than one club in UEFA competitions.

John Textor’s Eagle Football currently owns 43 per cent of Crystal Palace and 77 per cent of Lyon.

Palace maintain that they operate independently, but UEFA rejected their argument, citing the club’s failure to meet the March 1, 2025, deadline to show clear separation in ownership.

To comply, Textor agreed in June to sell his stake in Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, although the sale has yet to be finalised. He also resigned from his leadership role at Lyon to reduce overlapping influence.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest, which stands to benefit from Palace’s demotion, asked UEFA for clarification on the situation in June. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who owns Greek club Olympiakos, reportedly avoided similar sanctions.