Nidhish Waghmare
Crystal Palace have been drawn to play either Fredrikstad of Norway or Midtjylland of Denmark in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round. This development comes while the club waits for a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision regarding their demotion from the Europa League.
The Ownership Rule Breach Explained
UEFA rules prohibit clubs with shared ownership from participating in the same European competition. Palace fell afoul of this due to American businessman John Textor, who held stakes in both Crystal Palace and French side Lyon. Palace missed UEFA’s March 1 deadline to restructure ownership, triggering their demotion.
CAS Hearing and Europa League Appeal
Crystal Palace have officially appealed their demotion. The CAS hearing is scheduled for August 8, with a decision expected on August 11. If the appeal fails, Nottingham Forest—who finished seventh in the Premier League—will take Palace’s Europa League spot.
Play-off Fixture Details
In the meantime, Palace will prepare for their Conference League play-off tie. The winner of Fredrikstad vs Midtjylland will face Palace in:
- First leg: August 21 at Selhurst Park
- Second leg: August 28 (away) Victory would send Palace to the League phase of the competition.
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