The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing regarding Crystal Palace’s Europa League demotion. The conclusion of an 8-hour hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Hearing Duration and Conclusion:
On the day of the hearing, no decision was made. Answer: Monday, at some unspecified time.
If Crystal Palace wins the appeal, the Europa League will reinstate them because
of a place “they earned by winning the FA Cup 3 months ago at Wembley Stadium.” It would see them ruled out of the Conference League
Here are the key details from the hearing and Parish’s comments:
• Parish’s Caution and Impression of the Hearing: Europa League
◦ Steve Parish stated it was “hard to be confident” given the situation, which he described as “dystopian”.
◦ He hopes that “good sense will prevail” and they will reach the “right answer”.
◦ He found the hearing to be “very involved, very detailed, lots of legal arguments”.
◦ When asked if he felt they received a fair hearing or how their arguments went, he responded, “It’s very hard to say… people listened to both sides.
◦ He confirmed that everything in the hearing was “very civilised” and “fairly amicable”.
• Hearing Details
◦ The hearing began at 8:00 A.M. UK time, and Steve Parish stayed for eight hours.
◦ He had to leave slightly early to catch a flight back to the UK to celebrate the birth of his new grandson.
◦ The hearing was expected to continue for another 90 minutes to two hours after Parish left, with Crystal Palace’s legal team, estimated at six or seven lawyers, still arguing their case while playing for the Europa League.
◦ There will be no verdict or judgment on the day of the hearing itself.
• Expected Outcome and Implications
◦ The court is expected to announce the verdict on Monday, although no specific time was indicated.
◦ If Crystal Palace win the appeal, they will be reinstated to the Europa League, a place they earned by winning the FA Cup three months prior.
◦ If they lose the appeal, they will be demoted to the Conference League.
◦ Parish confirmed that Crystal Palace would play in the Conference League if they lose the appeal and would not boycott it.
◦ A loss for Crystal Palace would be good news for Nottingham Forest, as they would likely play in the Europa League in Palace’s place.
• Message to Fans
◦ Parish praised the Crystal Palace fans, stating they have been “brilliant throughout all of this”.
◦ He acknowledged it’s been a “difficult summer” after an “amazing triumph”.
◦ He emphasised that he is excited about the season and playing in Europe for the first time in the club’s history, no matter the outcome.
◦ His priority is to “get all this behind us and to focus on the future”.
If Crystal Palace loses the appeal, they will “suffer relegation to the Conference League.” This would mean that they would not be able to participate in the Europa League, which would be a blow to the club. This outcome could have a significant impact on the future of both clubs in European football.
