Glasner 'positive' over Palace's European appeal

Oliver Glasner took charge of Crystal Palace in March 2024

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is "positive" the club will be successful in their appeal against demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League.

The Eagles were punished for breaching multi-club ownership rules as American businessman John Textor owns a stake in the club and is the majority owner of French side Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League.

In July, Palace submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Uefa, which issued the punishment, as well as Lyon and Nottingham Forest.

Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, will replace FA Cup winners Palace in the Europa League if the punishment is upheld.

The appeal hearing began on Friday, with a verdict expected by Monday.

"I'm always positive," Glasner said in a news conference before Sunday's Community Shield against Liverpool.

"I can't see anything why we would should be demoted and why we should stay in the Conference League.

"I know how the club works and it is just the chairman and the people who work here daily that take the decisions."

Uefa rules state that clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same competition.

European football's governing body set a deadline of 1 March 2025 to show proof of multi-club ownership restructuring - a date Palace missed.

Palace argued Textor does not hold any decisive influence at the club, but Uefa did not accept that defence.

Speaking to The Rest is Football podcast last week, Eagles chairman Steve Parish said he was "very hopeful" the decision would be overturned.

In their appeal, Palace have requested an annulment of the decision by Uefa's financial control body and readmission to the Europa League in place of either Forest or Lyon.

As it stands, Palace will face either Norwegian side Fredrikstad or Midtjylland of Denmark in the Conference League play-off round later this month.

The Europa League group stage begins on 24 September.

'A simple matter of common sense?'

Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish is finding it difficult to even comprehend it has got this far. The club's supporters feel the same.

For those with Palace connections, it is a nonsense that their place in the Europa League - secured following last season's historic FA Cup triumph - has been ripped away from them by Uefa red tape.

Yet they are where they are. Parish led his legal team into battle on Friday morning at a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing which Palace hope will see them reinstated into European club football's second-most prestigious competition.

Palace feel they have assembled a strong case. Part of their appeal hinges on an understanding that Nottingham Forest were afforded extra time to comply with the same multi-club ownership rules Uefa concluded Palace had breached, but the Eagles were not given the same time.

Palace feel the simple matter of common sense means they are allow back into the Europa League.

Often, however, common sense in football doesn't prevail. That is Parish's fear.