Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish has spoken out on his side being kicked out of the Europa League and demoted to the Conference League.
Palace won their first-ever major trophy last season, lifting the FA Cup at Wembley and therefore qualifying for the second-tier European competition.
An issue, though, arose when it became clear John Textor, who also owned shares in French side Lyon, was also involved with Crystal Palace and had not settled the issue by March’s deadline.
Textor rushed to sell his shares, but the deadline had well passed, and the decision has now been made to not allow the Premier League side to take part next season – instead, they have been demoted to the Conference League.
There was hope for Palace when Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial issues, but their appeal was successful and they will play in the Europa League because they finished higher in their respective league than Palace – who came 12th in the English top flight.
Now, Parish, who runs the day-to-day operations at Palace, has spoken out for the first time since the verdict was reached on Friday.
Steve Parish has spoken out on Crystal Palace being kicked out of the Europa League
Palace qualified for Europe’s second-tier competition after winning the FA Cup last season
They have been kicked out because of John Textor’s involvement in both Palace and Lyon
‘We are obviously devastated, most importantly for the supporters, supporters of all clubs should be devastated for it,’ Parish said on Sky Sports. ‘This means something, you win a cup for the first time in your history and it’s like winning the lottery and going to the counter and not getting the prize.
‘It is a bad day for football, most right-minded football fans will see what a terrible injustice this is for the football club and one that I hope someone can remedy because I do believe that nobody in football wants to see this, I don’t think UEFA want to see it. Clubs that rightly qualify being locked out on the most ridiculous technicality that you could imagine.
‘We are looking at all options. Appealing is one option. I think we would much prefer if someone intervened, we believe it is possible for someone to do that. There are a number of really important points people need to consider.
‘First of all there are no other rules around the license which has a deadline. There are still people resolving their issues now, people who have to put money into bank accounts by next week. That date in itself seems an incongruous thing to do.
‘This is a rule we cant comply with, a rule has been created that is impossible for the majority owners at Crystal Palace to comply with. A minority shareholder needed either to sell or place their shares in a trust – we had no power to compel them to do that so that part alone is completely incongruous.’
Palace later released a statement saying they ‘are extremely dismayed by UEFAs decision’ and that they will continue to push their case.
Palace’s majority owners were Eagle Football Holdings, a group owned by US businessman John Textor. The group owns French side Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.
Rules state that, in cases of multi-club ownership where two teams qualify for the same competition, only one can take part. That place goes to the club which finished higher in its domestic league. Lyon ended in sixth, while Palace were 12th.
Parish branded it ‘one of the greatest injustices that have ever happen in European football’
Textor rushed to sell his shares in Palace, but missed the deadline of March 1 to do so
The sale of Textor’s shares are set to go through soon – but it hasn’t affected the Palace verdict
‘John or anyone at Eagle Football Holdings didn’t have decisive influence over Crystal Palace,’ Parish continued. ‘Everyone knows we are not part of a multi club, no staff, no players, no loans, I don’t know the phone numbers.
‘Everyone can see what a massive injustice this is, we caught a trip with a law that wasn’t put in there for us. No one will stick with this law, it’s crazy. I don’t understand why the panel have come to the law they have come to. We have proved to them with all reasonable doubt that John didn’t have any decisive influence with the club and yet still they have come up with this decision.
‘We qualified rightfully, something incredibly difficult to do, the players and staff and fans won this cup. We didn’t steal it, we beat three teams above us including one of the greatest teams to have played and we don’t get the prize, it is such an incredible travesty of justice and every football fans should be worried when teams of the same name have played in the competition.
‘Either you have these multi clubs or ban them. They need to find a way to get through this, but we were not part of one, everyone knows my position, I generally don’t think they are the right thing to do. There is a real crossroads here for UEFA to look at, do they intervene and do the right thing, which I think they want to do, or do they let it play out and see probably one of the greatest injustices that have ever happen in European football?
‘I don’t want Lyon relegated, that is not what I want. I want to play them maybe and have some fun doing it.
‘The punishment does not fit the crime. I am very upset, I think it is a gross injustice. Other people might have a different point of view but I think if they have a think about it then they won’t.’
Subject to a CAS appeal Forest, who were due to compete in the Conference League after finishing in seventh, will now take the spot with UEFA rules stating that ‘a club that is not admitted to the competition is replaced by the next-best-placed club in the top domestic championship of the same association’.
Mail Sport revealed last month that Palace officials were to jet to UEFA HQ in Switzerland to plead their case with their place in the Europa League under serious threat.
He added: ‘The punishment does not fit the crime. I am very upset, I think it is a gross injustice’
They argued that, as Textor held only 25 per cent of voting rights, he was not in a position of influence at Selhurst Park. They were given hope when Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2 for financial breaches.
However, Lyon were successful in their appeal earlier this week, and now UEFA have confirmed the decision.
Palace officials are understood to be furious with the decision and are likely to appeal.
CAS have the ability to fast-track cases, and would no doubt do so in this instance.
