Crystal Palace have launched a formal appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after UEFA’s decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League. The South London club is seeking a reversal of the ruling that has put their European campaign in jeopardy for the upcoming season.

The dispute centres on UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. John Textor, an American businessman and key stakeholder in Crystal Palace, also holds a controlling interest in French club Lyon, who similarly qualified for the Europa League. UEFA ruled that this dual involvement breached its integrity regulations, designed to avoid conflicts of interest within European competitions.

As a result, Palace were dropped into the lower-tier Europa Conference League, while Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, are now in line to take Palace’s Europa League spot should the punishment be upheld.

In their official appeal, Palace have challenged both the sanction and the interpretation of Textor’s role at the club. They have requested the annulment of UEFA’s ruling and reinstatement into the Europa League — replacing either Forest or Lyon, depending on the final outcome.