Crystal Palace bumped from Europa League to Conference League over John Textor ownership conflict with Lyon

Crystal Palace have been demoted to the Conference League following breaches of multi-club ownership regulations, a UEFA panel has ruled.

Nottingham Forest could take the FA Cup winners' place in next season's Europa League though Palace are expected to appeal the decision by the first chamber of the club financial control body (CFCB). UEFA rules state that two clubs playing in the same competition cannot be owned by the same entity, fully or to a certain threshold.

Eagle Football, owned by American businessman John Textor, are the largest shareholders in Crystal Palace and also own Lyon, the French side whose appeal to avoid relegation from Ligue 1 was successful earlier this week. That ensured they could take up the Europa League place they qualified for through their league finish and forced UEFA's CFCB to make a decision. Had Lyon's relegation been upheld it had been agreed that they would not take part in European competition.

Palace argued that Textor did not hold a significant influence at the club but UEFA concluded otherwise. Textor is in the process of selling his stake to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson but the deal has not been ratified by the Premier League. The Eagles had also missed the March 1 deadline to show proof of restructuring around multi-club ownership though in case they could point to how unlikely their qualification for Europe was.

At the time, Oliver Glasner's side sat 12th in the Premier League table and on March 1 beat Millwall 3-1 in their FA Cup fifth round tie. To secure the first major piece of silverware in their club's history Palace would have to go on to beat Fulham away before overcoming Aston Villa and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

Their Europa League place is expected to be taken by Nottingham Forest, whose seventh placed Premier League finish had been due to be rewarded with a season in the Conference League.