Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is “confident” the Eagles will win their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to play in the Europa League.
European football’s governing body UEFA has demoted Palace from the Europa League to the Conference League for breaking multi-club ownership rules.
Palace are seeking to overturn UEFA’s decision to give their place in the Europa League to Nottingham Forest.
The CAS appeal will be heard on Friday, with a decision expected on Monday – a day after FA Cup holders Palace face Premier League champions Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky Sports Chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol explains why Crystal Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League
Sky Sports News understands Palace believe they have compelling evidence which will help them win their CAS appeal.
Palace missed the March 1 deadline to change their ownership structure to comply with the rules. However, Palace have legal documents, seen by Sky Sports News, which advise clubs that the real deadline is not March 1, but April 30.
This new evidence has raised Palace’s hopes of a successful appeal, and, three days before the hearing, Glasner was upbeat about their chances of playing in the Europa League.
He told Sky Sports News: “We don’t have any influence on the decision from UEFA, we don’t have any influence on the decision from CAS, so it just makes no sense that we’re thinking about it.
“We focus on what we have to do on the pitch, how to create this spirit in the group, this togetherness, this commitment, and this is what we are doing day by day.
“We’re waiting for the final decision, we’re still confident that the appeal will be successful and that we will play in the Europa League.
“But in the end, on August 11, we will know the final decision – then we will start to prepare for Europe.”
Palace learn possible Conference League play-off opponents
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look as Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta star in Crystal Palace’s pre-season win over Augsburg
As Palace await a decision on their European fate, the club remain in the Conference League and on Monday they discovered their play-off opponents.
The FA Cup winners have been drawn to face either Norwegian club Fredrikstad or Danish side FC Midtjylland.
The Eagles are scheduled to face the winners of the third qualifying round tie between Fredrikstad or Midtjylland at Selhurst Park on August 21, with the second leg a week later.
Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League by UEFA on July 11 after it determined that, as of March 1, American businessman John Textor had control or influence at Palace and French club Lyon.
UEFA rules state where one or more clubs are deemed to have common ownership, they cannot play in the same competition. Lyon edged out Palace for the sole Europa League place because they finished higher than Palace in their league.
Forest have taken Palace’s Europa League place, but Palace are seeking to take either Lyon’s or Forest’s place in the second-tier competition in their appeal.
Textor has now sold his stake in Palace, with the purchase of his shares by New York Jets owner Woody Johnson completed last month.
‘Devastated’ Parish slams UEFA ruling
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Crystal Palace chair Steve Parish’s exclusive interview with Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol in full
Last month, Palace chairman Steve Parish said the club’s demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League was “one of the greatest injustices” in the history of European football.
Parish strongly rejected the idea Palace and Lyon were part of a multi-club ownership group and said it was a “crazy rule” Palace had been judged to have fallen foul of.
“Obviously, we’re devastated,” he told Sky Sports News in an exclusive interview. “We’re devastated for, most importantly, the supporters. I think the supporters of all clubs should be devastated for us because this is the dream.
“You win a cup, actually win something for the first time in your history. Somebody said to me it’s like winning the lottery, going to the counter and you don’t get the prize.
“I’m devastated for the players, for the fans, for the staff. It’s a bad day for football.
“I think most right-minded football fans will see what a terrible injustice this is for the football club, one that I dearly hope somebody can remedy because I do believe that nobody in football wants to see this.
“I don’t think UEFA want to see this. Clubs that rightfully qualify for a competition being locked out of that competition on the most ridiculous technicality that you could imagine.
“Obviously, as everybody knows, John or anybody at Eagle Football [Textor’s company] didn’t have decisive influence over Crystal Palace. Everybody knows this. Everybody knows we’re not part of a multi-club [ownership]. Everybody knows we have no staff, no players from Lyon, no loans, no transactions.
“We’ve caught a tripwire. We’re caught up in a rule that wasn’t put there for us.
“It will change. Nobody’s going to stick with this rule. It’s a crazy rule. I don’t understand why the panel have come to the conclusion they’ve come to.
“We’ve proved to them beyond all reasonable doubt that John didn’t have decisive influence over anything to do with the football club, yet still they’ve come up with this decision, which seems incongruous.”
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season
From this season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games this season are on Sky Sports.
