Drogheda United’s Appeal Rejected Following Conference League Exclusion

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed Drogheda United’s appeal against their exclusion from the Conference League, a decision made by UEFA due to breaches of regulations concerning multi-club ownership.

Drogheda, the FAI Cup champions from the previous season, are part of the multi-club football organisation Trivela Group, which also holds a majority stake in the Danish club Silkeborg. The complications arose when both teams qualified for the upcoming Conference League.

Under UEFA’s guidelines, the higher-ranked Silkeborg retains its spot, leaving Drogheda informed of their disqualification last week. The Irish outfit then appealed to CAS but will now forfeit the chance to return to European competition for the first time since 2013.

In their defence, Drogheda pointed out their extensive efforts to collaborate with UEFA on required adjustments to their ownership and governance structures, allowing both clubs to participate. They also noted that rule changes had been communicated and enforced inconsistently among various clubs.

The CAS concluded that UEFA had appropriately communicated the change of assessment date and stated that Drogheda should have been aware of this adjustment. Additionally, they dismissed Drogheda’s claims of unfair treatment by UEFA.

“We strongly disagree with this decision and had hoped that fairness and common sense would prevail,” the club said in a statement.

“We believe this outcome is unjust. The rules should foster opportunity rather than hinder it. Nonetheless, we take responsibility for the situation and express our regret.”

Last season, UEFA permitted Manchester City and Girona to compete in the Champions League, along with Manchester United and Nice in the Europa League, citing that investors had made necessary changes to comply with regulations.

Meanwhile, UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) is investigating Crystal Palace’s participation in the Europa League due to concerns over majority owner John Textor’s links with Olympique Lyonnais, which has also qualified for the tournament.

In a related development, CAS rejected Club Leon’s appeal last month after the Mexican side was excluded from the Club World Cup by FIFA for not complying with multi-club ownership regulations.