Crystal Palace Appeals Demotion Ahead of UEFA Decision

London, England – Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner expressed frustration regarding the club’s possible demotion to the UEFA Europa Conference League, ahead of a critical legal verdict that could impact their European competition status.

Glasner spoke to reporters while chairman Steve Parish and the club’s legal team presented their arguments at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. They are appealing a UEFA decision that demoted Palace due to American businessman John Textor‘s previous ownership influence.

“If you get punished when you feel innocent it’s tough,” Glasner said. “It feels like we are punished, but being innocent. If we had ended the season in seventh place, we would have celebrated going straight into the Conference League.”

UEFA rules prohibit teams with shared ownership from competing in the same event. Lyon secured the last Europa League spot by finishing higher than Palace in the league. Textor sold his stake in Crystal Palace earlier this summer, hoping to resolve the conflicting ownership issue.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty, Glasner insisted that the situation hasn’t disrupted team preparations. “We want to focus on the things we can influence. We can’t influence UEFA’s decision,” he explained. “The players have worked hard during preseason, and we will accept whatever the verdict is on Aug. 11.”

Glasner is also keen on enhancing the squad, emphasizing that it is not just a personal desire but a necessity for the club’s ambitions. “If Crystal Palace wants to play European football, it must act accordingly,” he said. “Everybody knows this in this building.”

Parish left the hearing early due to a family commitment but expressed uncertainty about the outcome, hoping for a fair resolution. “Given where we are, it’s hard to be confident…hopefully good sense will prevail,” he said.