Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed the club is mounting a legal challenge against UEFA's decision to exclude them from next season's Europa League. Despite winning the FA Cup, Palace have been demoted to the Europa Conference League after UEFA ruled there was a conflict of interest regarding former director and co-owner John Textor, who also owns part of Ligue 1 side Lyon.
Parish insists Textor, who has since sold his stake in Palace, never had decisive influence over the club. 'We are still fighting,' Parish told The Rest is Football podcast. 'There's an appeal process, so we go to CAS... We're very hopeful. We think we've got great legal arguments.' He added: 'We know unequivocally that John didn't have decisive influence over the club. We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it's a fact.'
The demotion would benefit Nottingham Forest, who would replace Palace in the Europa League. Parish believes Forest lobbied for the decision. 'We are led to believe that's the issue. If there wasn't somebody that wanted to get in as a consequence, then there wouldn't be a problem,' he said.
Parish described Palace missing out on European football after winning the FA Cup as a 'bad look' for football and called on UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to intervene. 'I think Mr Ceferin could resolve this situation... I think it would be a very good look if he did resolve this situation, because I think most people think it is right that we are in the competition.'
