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Crystal Palace fans are set to take to the streets in protest this Tuesday, voicing their anger over UEFA’s decision to exclude the club from next season’s Europa League. The move follows UEFA's enforcement of multi-club ownership rules, which Palace are currently challenging in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Palace had earned a Europa League place by defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final eight weeks ago, a historic win that brought the club its first major trophy. But UEFA later ruled the club ineligible due to ownership links with French side Lyon, who also qualified for the competition.
American investor John Textor holds a stake in Palace and is the controlling shareholder at Lyon, leading to a breach of UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership. These regulations prevent teams under shared influence from competing in the same European tournament. Although UEFA gave clubs until March 1 to restructure their ownership, Palace missed the deadline.
In a strongly worded statement, the Holmesdale Fanatics announced plans for a protest march starting at Norwood Clocktower at 7:30pm on Tuesday, ending at Selhurst Park just 12 minutes away. The fans group condemned UEFA’s ruling, calling it "a terrible injustice."
"Uefa's decision to demote Crystal Palace to the Conference League is a terrible injustice for both our club and the game of football as a whole," the statement read.
"We call this protest not just for Palace's position in the Europa League to be reinstated, but with all football fans in mind."
"Many clubs could be the next to be ruled against for lacking the historical prestige and financial resources to influence Uefa for their own gain."
The group captioned their announcement on social media with: "Time to act. Please share widely."
UEFA maintains that its decision followed a thorough examination of the evidence provided by both clubs. In a statement, it said the verdict came after an “assessment of the documentation submitted” and insists Palace were not unfairly treated.
Financially, the decision could have significant implications for Palace. While the Europa League offers a minimum reward of £9.1 million and up to £33.5 million for successful teams, the Conference League provides only £3.9 million upfront, with a maximum potential of £18.4 million.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @cpfc
