Crystal Palace to step up legal fight over Europa League expulsion
Steve Parish, the chairman of Crystal Palace, has stated that the team will appeal its exclusion from the Europa League to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Last Monday, the European regulatory body Uefa ruled that the FA Cup winners had violated multi-club ownership (MCO) regulations, so denying them a participation in the competition for the next season.
Palace has reacted negatively to the decision; supporters are marching in protest this week, and local MPs are pleading with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to step in.
Parish, who is also incensed over the alleged unfairness, has now stated that the club will pursue their case through the only remaining legal option.
“We’re still engaged in combat. We go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as part of the appeals procedure, and we’re really optimistic,” Parish said on the podcast The Rest is Football.
“We believe our legal arguments are strong. By no means do we believe that this is the best course of action.
Because US businessman John Textor controls 43% of Palace and most of its fellow Europa League qualifiers, Lyon, Uefa decided against Palace.
The legal defenses Palace will use
No two teams that share an owner with “decisive influence” are permitted to compete in the same competition under multi-club regulations. Palace was demoted to the Conference League, while Lyon, the higher-ranked team, was permitted to retain their spot.
“This is a crucial criterion under Uefa regulations, and how that phrase is interpreted could make or break the appeal,” attorney Charlie Edwards told City AM.
“We are certain that John did not have a significant impact on the club,” Parish went on. “That is a fact, so we know we proved it beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Although there is no assurance that this will appease Uefa, which has set a deadline of March 1st for settling multi-club concerns, Textor has since consented to sell his stake to Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets and former US ambassador to the UK.
Palace’s Europa League spot is expected to be taken by Nottingham Forest. In order to evade MCO sanctions, Olympiacos’ owner, Evangelos Marinakis, put his shares in a blind trust.
In the past, other teams have complied with Uefa’s MCO regulations by altering their organizational structure, like Manchester City and Girona, RB Leipzig, and sister club Salzburg.
Edwards, an associate at the media and entertainment law firm Simkins LLP, stated that the Palace is also likely to bring up Uefa’s uneven application of Article 5 [with regard to MCO and integrity].
Their argument could be greatly strengthened if they can demonstrate that the rule has been applied inconsistently among clubs or cases. The outcome will probably have an impact much beyond Selhurst Park in one way or another.
The Holmesdale Fanatics organization has announced plans to hold additional protests at Uefa headquarters in Switzerland after fans participated in a march through Crystal Palace in south London on Tuesday night.
Nandy has received a letter from seven Liberal Democrats, including leader Ed Davey, requesting that “the decision-making process is reviewed for transparency and fairness.”
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