Palace count cost after Cas upholds Europa League ban

Oliver Glasner will fancy his chances of winning the Conference League but fans have been left disappointed

- Ed Aarons

The news Steve Parish was dreading arrived less than 24 hours after watching Crystal Palace win their second trophy in three months. Parish had been confident that the club's appeal against their demotion from the Europa League would succeed as he discussed their prospects at Wembley Stadium after beating Liverpool in the Community Shield on Sunday. "I really am, even more after Friday," the club chair said. "I don't understand that we cannot be in the competition. I really can't. But it's up to the judges to decide. We trust them and that they listened to everything we said so let's see."

Confirmation from the court of arbitration for sport that it had upheld the decision by UEFA's club financial control body to punish Palace for breaching its multi-club ownership rules has brought Parish and the team's fans back to earth. The CAS statement made clear the role of John Textor, the US businessman who last month sold his 43% stake in Palace to the New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson, was decisive. Textor has admitted that seconds after Palace's victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May that he feared the worst regarding participation in the Europa League, given that he owns Lyon, who also qualified.