Crystal Palace will play in the Conference League this season after losing their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). UEFA punished Palace for breaking rules about owning shares in more than one club in European matches.

John Textor owned part of Crystal Palace and Lyon, which both qualified for the Europa League. UEFA stated that this gave Textor too much control over both teams, which isn’t allowed. 

At the appeal, Palace said Textor didn’t have real power in the club and was no longer involved. They also claimed UEFA mistreated them by not giving them the same deadline extensions as other clubs, like Nottingham Forest.

The CAS panel disagreed and rejected Palace’s claim of unfair treatment. After the ruling, Forest will move up to the Europa League, while Palace must settle for the Conference League. 

Palace will face the team that loses the qualifier between Fredrikstad of Norway and Midtjylland of Denmark.

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Cole Palmer took control and helped Chelsea win the Conference League title with a 4-1 victory over Real Betis.

Chelsea started slowly and went behind early after Abde Ezzalzouli scored for Betis. The first half was quiet for Palmer, but he stepped up after the break. He beat Ezzalzouli on the wing and crossed for Enzo Fernandez to head in the equaliser. Soon after, Palmer spun past his marker and set up Nicolas Jackson to make it 2-1.

Palmer didn’t score, but he created key goals and pushed Chelsea forward. Pundits praised his performance, calling him a game-changer. The win gave Chelsea their first trophy under owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. 

It also gave head coach Enzo Maresca a strong finish to a tough season. He said this result could be the start of something better. Chelsea now return to the Champions League and end the season with silverware in hand.

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