Crystal Palace keeper Dean Henderson believes that the Europa League would be “devalued” if the club are dropped from the continent’s second-tier competition as they await their fate at the hands of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Palace had qualified for the Europa League through their stunning FA Cup victory over Man City, a historic first major trophy in the club’s history.
However, Uefa demoted the Eagles to the Conference League for breaching multi-club ownership rules. The club crucially missed a March 1 deadline to demonstrate that American co-owner John Textor, also a part-owner at Lyon, had no control or influence over more than one club in the same competition.
Palace have appealed to CAS against Uefa’s decision to remove them from the Europa League, with a closed-door hearing taken place on August 8. A decision is expected on Monday.
“We win the FA Cup, we are justified to be in the Europa League,” Henderson told BBC Radio 5 Live after helping Palace to a shootout victory in the Community Shield over Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday.
“For football purposes, we deserve to be in the Europa League. I think it would devalue the competition unfortunately if we weren’t in the Europa League.”
Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) decided Textor’s interest in both clubs meant only one could enter the Europa League, with Lyon’s higher league position of sixth edging out Palace, who finished the Premier League campaign in 12th. Nottingham Forest are expected to benefit from the Eagles’ demotion, replacing them in the Europa League following their seventh-place league finish.
Palace said in June that New York Jets co-owner Woody Johnson had signed a legally binding agreement to buy Eagle Football Holding’s stake in the club.
The club were nevertheless slapped with demotion in an initial verdict, one Palace fans have vehemently protested, with members of Palace’s ultras travelling to Uefa’s HQ in Nyon to combat the perceived injustice head-on.
“I know the chairman (Steve Parish) has fought hard against it and fingers crossed we are in the Europa League like we deserve to be,” Henderson added. “I am sure they will see sense and put us back in the Europa League.”
