‘Uefa has very strong evidence against Crystal Palace after appeal update’
Uefa believes it has “very strong evidence” against Crystal Palace after an appeal update has emerged.
The governing body has expelled Palace from the Europa League after ruling co-owner John Textor breaches its multi-club ownership rules.
The American billionaire owns a stake in Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League, with Uefa’s rules prohibiting clubs controlled by the same owners or directors from competing in the same European competition.
Palace are now set to play in the Conference League next season, while Nottingham Forest have been promoted into the Europa League.
Football Insider revealed on 9 July Palace were ready to submit an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the Uefa decision went against them.
Chairman Steve Parish has now confirmed the south London club will lodge an appeal with CAS.
Finance expert Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Palace are going to try and unwind Uefa’s decision in respect of decisive influence.
CAS, which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, settles sports-related disputes through arbitration and mediation.
It’s currently unclear whether the international body would overturn any decision against Palace after Drogheda United’s appeal against their dismissal from the Conference League was rejected last month.
The Irish Premier Division club and Danish side Silkeborg make up part of the Trivela Group’s multi-club model, with both sides qualifying for the third-tier European competition.
Crystal Palace could face crushing appeal blow
Borson insisted Palace are going to face issues unwinding Uefa’s decision.
He told Football Insider: “They are obviously going to try and unwind Uefa’s conclusion in respect to decisive influence.
“The question of decisive influence is a question of fact and a question of evidence and, at the moment, the evidence that’s being reviewed by Uefa’s CFCB, the body that adjudicates that evidence and those rules, has concluded in their view with what’s known as comfortable satisfaction, even more than a balance of probabilities.
“In their view, they have proved, and it’s important that the burden of proof, i.e. the party that has to prove it, is the CFCB. It’s not for Palace to prove that there is no decisive control.
“The burden of proof was on Uefa, so it is not straightforward for Uefa to have established that Crystal Palace have an issue in this respect. So, once they have established it, they obviously think they’ve got very strong evidence.
“Therefore, when it goes to CAS, it is going to be difficult for Crystal Palace to unwind that conclusion. Crystal Palace probably will have to show either that the CFCB misunderstood or missed completely a key part of the evidence.
“So, therefore, their conclusion was flawed, i.e. there was no decisive influence or alternatively that they underweighted a piece of evidence. So, Crystal Palace provided a piece of paper that said X, Y and Z, but for whatever reason, the CFCB didn’t take it fully into account and, therefore, came to an incorrect conclusion.
“When CAS look at the same evidence, they say how could you possibly have come to that conclusion when the document clearly says the exact opposite and, therefore, we’re going to unwind the decision of the CFCB and reinstate Crystal Palace.
“But the reality is that for Crystal Palace to win at CAS, they will have to effectively show that there is no decisive influence from John Textor.”
Crystal Palace accept Ola-Adebomi offer
In terms of an exit at Selhurst Park, Football Insider revealed on 21 July Palace have accepted a bid for Ademola Ola-Adebomi from WSG Tirol.
Oliver Glasner’s side have given the 21-year-old striker the green light to hold talks with the Austrian first division club.
Ola-Adebomi registered 12 goals in 13 Premier League 2 games in the second half of last season after spending the first half of the campaign on loan at SK Beveren.
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