Crystal Palace supporters have taken to the streets to protest against UEFA's decision to demote the club to the Conference League. The decision came after the club breached multi-club ownership rules, which has sparked outrage among the fanbase.

The Protest at Selhurst Park

On Tuesday, hundreds of fans gathered at Selhurst Park, the home ground of Crystal Palace, carrying banners and chanting slogans against UEFA. The fans expressed their frustration over what they see as an unfair decision that penalizes the entire club and its supporters.

Background of the Decision

Crystal Palace had qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup in May, marking their first major trophy. However, due to American businessman John Textor's ownership stakes in both Crystal Palace and French club Lyon, UEFA ruled that both clubs could not compete in the same European competition. Textor is currently in the process of selling his stake in Crystal Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, but the deadline for restructuring ownership had already passed.

Fan Reactions

Nick Philpot from the Red and Blue Review podcast voiced the collective sentiment of the fans: "At the end of the day, it's an injustice, just by a couple of admin errors. We qualified for it. We won the cup - it should be we go into it without any question about it. You're penalizing the entire club and the fanbase. Why would you do that?"

Club's Stance

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish called the decision "a bad day for football" and "a terrible injustice." He emphasized that the club had been locked out of a European competition on a technicality and urged supporters of all clubs to stand in solidarity with Palace.

Next Steps

Crystal Palace is expected to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in hopes of overturning the decision. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, are set to replace Palace in the Europa League.

UEFA's Silence

UEFA has yet to comment on the situation, leaving many questions unanswered and fueling further discontent among the Crystal Palace community.