Former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi hasn’t publicly disagreed with the Crystal Palace UEFA ruling that demoted them to the Conference League. However, Crystal Palace fans and chairman Steve Parish have expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision ¹.

Crystal Palace’s Demotion

Crystal Palace was demoted to the Conference League due to breaches of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. The ruling was based on the club’s shared ownership with Olympique Lyonnais, with American businessman John Textor having a significant stake in both clubs. UEFA’s regulations prohibit clubs with common ownership from competing in the same competition if they have “decisive influence” over both clubs ².

Reaction to the Ruling

– Crystal Palace Fans: Fans protested against the ruling, carrying banners that read “UEFA: Morally Bankrupt. Revoke the ruling now”. They marched to Selhurst Park, expressing their dissatisfaction with the decision.
– Steve Parish: Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish described the demotion as “a bad day for football” and “a terrible injustice”. He also hinted at potential further action after the verdict ³.

Impact on Crystal Palace

The demotion means Crystal Palace will participate in the UEFA Conference League play-off round instead of the Europa League. Nottingham Forest will take Palace’s place in the Europa League. Crystal Palace’s upcoming fixtures include ⁴ ⁵:
– Fredrikstad FK: August 21, 2025, UEFA Conference League playoff at Selhurst Park
– Fredrikstad FK: August 28, 2025, UEFA Conference League playoff at Fredrikstad Stadion

The club’s focus will likely shift to regrouping and preparing for their Conference League play-off matches.