- Crystal Palace protested UEFA’s decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Conference League
- Thousands of fans marched in London with flares and banners targeting UEFA and modern football
- The club demands a change to multi-club ownership rules after being penalised over John Textor’s minority stake
Key Takeaways:
Crystal Palace is appealing UEFA’s decision to relegate the club from the Europa League to the Conference League, demanding a change to the rules on club ownership. At the same time, thousands of the team’s supporters flooded the streets of London in protest, lighting flares, chanting, and raising banners against UEFA and the modern state of football.
Crystal Palace supporters staged a protest against UEFA's decision to demote the club to the Europa Conference League.
Hundreds of fans marched to Palace's Selhurst Park ground carrying banners and chanting against European football's governing body.pic.twitter.com/9R59DcfTfW
— Kyama ⚽ (@ElijahKyama_) July 16, 2025
The English side earned its Europa League spot fairly by winning the FA Cup in May. However, the team was demoted to the third-tier Conference League because Lyon will also take part in the Europa League.
The French club was initially expelled from Ligue 1, but that ruling was later overturned by the national football federation and Lyon was reinstated to France’s top flight.
The issue stems from the fact that both clubs have a common stakeholder. John Textor, who held a minority share in Crystal Palace, is also involved with Lyon. Although the American businessman stepped down from his role at Palace and sold his shares back in May, UEFA ruled that this happened too late — he was still part of the management structures at both clubs at the moment of their licensing for European competition.
The decision has sparked outrage. A few years ago, Salzburg and Leipzig — both entirely owned by the Red Bull group — not only competed in the same UEFA tournament but were drawn into the same group. Despite their full common ownership, UEFA allowed both clubs to participate without triggering the rule. The contrast in treatment has not gone unnoticed.