Crystal Palace Demotion to Europa Conference League: Wetin Happen Afta Dem Beat Manchester City for FA Cup?
E be like say na big yeye di happen for football world as Crystal Palace, wey don try well well, don see demsef inside one wahala wey no good at all. Dis South London club don qualify for Europa League afta dem beat Manchester City 1-0 for FA Cup final wey happen for May 2025. Eberechi Eze score di only goal wey make dem lift dia first major trophy for dia 164 years history. E suppose be joy everywhere, but e turn to cry-cry matter as UEFA don demote dem from Europa League go Europa Conference League. Wetin dey happen? Make we yarn am well well for pidgin.
Di whole palava start because of multi-club ownership rules wey UEFA get. Dis rules say say two clubs wey get di same owner or big shareholder no fit play for di same European competition. For dis case, John Textor, wey be big man for Eagle Football Holdings, get stake for both Crystal Palace and Lyon, one French club.
Textor get 43% for Palace and 77% for Lyon, and both clubs qualify for Europa League. Lyon finish sixth for Ligue 1, while Palace win FA Cup, wey suppose give dem automatic ticket. But because of dis ownership mix-up, UEFA say e no fit work, and dem don shift Palace go Conference League.
E be like say di timing no favor Palace at all. UEFA get deadline of March 1, 2025, wey clubs must show say dem don sort out any multi-club ownership wahala. At dat time, Palace never reach FA Cup fifth round, so dem no know say dem go qualify. Textor try sell him stake for Palace to Woody Johnson, di New York Jets owner, for June, but e too late pass di deadline. Even though Lyon first face relegation from Ligue 1 because of money wahala, dem win dia appeal for July, and dat make dem still get Europa League spot. So, UEFA decide say Lyon go stay for Europa League, and Palace go step down to Conference League.
Steve Parish, wey be Palace chairman, no gree for dis matter at all. E call am “one of di greatest injustices for European football history.” E talk say dem win di cup fair and square, beat Manchester City wey be giant for di game, and e no make sense say dem go lose dia reward like dat. E say di rule wey dem use catch Palace no even fit dem, because Textor no dey control Palace like say na him own am pass. Parish don talk say dem go appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and e dey hope say UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin go step in to help.
Di palava don cause big talk for football street. Some pipo dey vex say Palace, wey be underdog wey fight well, don suffer for hand of technical rule wey no look at dia hard work. Dem say na Lyon suppose drop, since dem get money wahala wey nearly sink dem. Others dey wonder why Nottingham Forest, wey finish seventh for Premier League, go now take Palace place for Europa League. Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, don even put him stake for blind trust before to avoid similar wahala with him other club, Olympiakos. Some Palace fans dey suspect say Forest don lobby UEFA to push dem out, but e no clear yet.
Dis matter don show say multi-club ownership rules fit be big problem for small clubs wey dey try break through. Pipo dey compare am with big clubs like Manchester City and Girona, wey UEFA allow play for Champions League last season afta dem sort out dia own ownership wahala. Some dey talk say UEFA dey favor big clubs wey get money, while small clubs like Palace dey suffer. E be like say di rules no get human face, and e fit discourage teams from trying hard if di prize go just slip from dia hand.
For Palace fans, e be pain wey dey cut deep. Afta 164 years, dem finally win something big, and now e turn to half bread. Di Conference League no be bad place, but e no get di same prestige or money like Europa League.
Dem go still play European football for first time, but e no dey sweet like di original plan. As dem dey prepare for dia CAS appeal, e remain to see if justice go prevail or if dis go be another sad story for di Eagles. One thing sure, di fight no don finish yet, and Palace fans go dey behind dem team 100%.
Wetin you think about dis matter? E fair say Palace lose dia Europa League spot? Drop your tori for di comment section!