In a season already packed with drama, the fight for a Europa League spot has now landed in the courtroom.
Nottingham Forest are gearing up for a legal showdown—one they didn’t start, but certainly won’t sit out.
The club is sending a legal team to Switzerland to join a critical hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where Crystal Palace is appealing UEFA’s decision that saw them demoted from the Europa League.
Let’s break down what’s going on and why this has turned into one of the most heated off-pitch football sagas of the summer.
Forest Sends Legal Counsel to Defend UEFA Ruling
Forest’s decision to lawyer up speaks volumes.
While it’s not unheard of for a club to get involved in such proceedings, this move shows just how seriously they’re taking the matter.
Officials at the City Ground are heading to Switzerland with legal representatives in tow, preparing to defend the ruling that bumped them up to the Europa League.
A Forest spokesperson confirmed, “The club is required to participate in the proceedings and has instructed legal counsel accordingly.” Translation? They’re not taking any chances.
Palace’s Europa League Dream Blocked by Ownership Rule Breach
Crystal Palace had earned their Europa League ticket fair and square by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
But then came UEFA’s ruling, and things went sideways fast.
The issue? Multi-club ownership rules.
Palace were deemed ineligible because John Textor, an American businessman, owned stakes in both Palace and French club Lyon—who had also qualified for the Europa League.
Since both clubs were under the influence of Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings (which held 43% of Palace), UEFA deemed it a conflict.
As a result, Palace were demoted to the Conference League, while Forest—who had originally qualified for the Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League—were bumped up to replace them.
Palace Fights Back with Appeal Targeting Forest and Lyon
Palace aren’t going quietly. They’ve launched a formal appeal not just against UEFA, but also against Forest and Lyon.
They’re demanding to be reinstated into the Europa League, and for either Forest or Lyon to be removed instead.
One of their main arguments? Alleged double standards in how UEFA enforced its rules.
Palace are claiming Forest were given extra time to sort out their own ownership complications—something they say wasn’t afforded to them.
Forest’s Ownership Shuffle Under Scrutiny
At the heart of Palace’s argument is Forest’s relationship with Olympiakos.
Both clubs are controlled by Evangelos Marinakis, which could have posed its own multi-club issue had both reached European competition.
To solve this, Marinakis temporarily distanced himself from Forest by placing the club in a blind trust.
However, records show this move wasn’t filed until April 29—well past UEFA’s March 1 compliance deadline.
Forest insist they met all requirements on time.
But Palace wants full access to communications between Forest and UEFA, believing these could expose a possible “double standard” in how the rules were applied.
Palace Claims Textor Had No Real Power at Selhurst Park
Palace also plan to argue that Textor’s role at the club wasn’t as influential as UEFA claimed.
Yes, his company owned 43% of Palace—but that only gave him 25% of the voting rights.
The rest was controlled by chairman Steve Parish and fellow investors David Blitzer and Josh Harris.
Since Blitzer and Harris are mostly hands-off, Palace believe Textor didn’t actually have decision-making power.
They’ll argue that because he couldn’t influence club operations, UEFA’s ruling should be overturned.
Ownership Update: Textor Out, Johnson In
Since the whole saga began, Textor has sold his shares to another American—Woody Johnson.
While that doesn’t impact the appeal directly, it shows how fast things are moving behind the scenes.
Still, Palace are sticking with the claim that Textor’s original stake didn’t justify the club’s exclusion.
What’s Next at the Court of Arbitration for Sport?
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is fast-tracking the case, given the ticking clock on European fixtures.
The draw for the Conference League play-offs—where Palace currently sit—takes place next Monday.
If they win the appeal, the competition lineup could change dramatically.
So now, with Forest’s lawyers en route to Switzerland and Palace gearing up to argue their case, the real question is: will the pitch drama spill even further into the courts?
Stay tuned—this one’s not over yet.