Crystal Palace secured the Conference League title with a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, marking a triumphant conclusion to a season marred by a contentious UEFA ban from the Europa League. Chairman Steve Parish did not hold back, directing criticism at rivals Nottingham Forest, owner Evangelos Marinakis, and European governing body UEFA for what he perceives as hypocrisy in the application of multi-club ownership rules.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish publicly criticized Nottingham Forest , Evangelos Marinakis , and UEFA following his club's Conference League victory on Wednesday night. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the decisive goal as Oliver Glasner secured his third trophy in just over a year, with his side triumphing over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig.
Earlier in the season, Parish led a seven-person delegation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after Crystal Palace were expelled from the Europa League, a competition they had earned by winning the FA Cup. UEFA's ruling centred on a breach of multi-club ownership regulations. A panel determined that US businessman John Textor, whose company held a 43% stake in Crystal Palace, exerted influence at Selhurst Park.
Textor's group also owned Lyon, who qualified for the same European competition and took precedence due to a higher domestic league finish than Palace, the FA Cup winners. Textor subsequently divested his stake, but the decision stood. Nottingham Forest, who had lobbied for Palace's expulsion, replaced them in the Europa League. While Palace celebrated their Conference League win, Forest were eliminated in the Europa League semi-finals by eventual champions Aston Villa.
In his post-match comments on TNT Sports, an emotional Parish remarked, "It's an incredible achievement. The players, the staff, all of the ups and downs we've had this season, it's brilliant to get here and to get into the Europa League where we deserve to be. It just shows that sometimes the good guys win in the end.
" He reflected on his initial ambitions for the club, stating, "When I bought the club I wasn't sure we'd ever play in Europe, let alone win a trophy. It's a dream come true.
" Looking ahead, Parish affirmed, "We have got a taste for it now, we want to keep it going... We will have a week to celebrate and then work hard in the summer.
" By winning the Conference League, Palace have secured a place in next season's Europa League, bringing the total number of English clubs in European competition to nine. The core of the dispute involved conflicting deadlines. Forest had retained a legal team to support UEFA's position during Palace's appeal in Switzerland. Palace argued that Forest were given additional time beyond UEFA's March 1 deadline to resolve their own multi-club ownership issues involving Marinakis, who also owns Olympiakos.
When both Forest and Olympiakos seemed capable of qualifying for the Champions League, Marinakis placed Forest into a blind trust. However, documents filed at Companies House revealed this move occurred on April 29, well after the March cutoff. Palace demanded full disclosure of communications between UEFA and Forest, suspecting double standards. Forest, believing they had met requirements, saw no issue with transparency.
Ultimately, Forest failed to reach the Champions League, and Marinakis was reinstated as a person with significant control of the club on June 6. Palace's appeal was unsuccessful, condemning them to the Conference League-a competition now won by three English teams in five years: West Ham (2023), Chelsea (2025), and Crystal Palace (2026). Forest, finishing 16th in the Premier League, will have no European football next season
Crystal Palace Nottingham Forest UEFA Conference League Multi-Club Ownership Steve Parish Evangelos Marinakis
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