Drogheda United's dreams of European football have been shattered. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed their appeal against UEFA's decision to exclude them from the Conference League.
The Irish club fell victim to UEFA's multi-club ownership regulations. Drogheda is owned by Trivela Group, who also control Danish side Silkeborg. When both clubs qualified for next season's Conference League, the rules only allowed one to participate.
According to UEFA's regulations, the higher-ranked team gets priority. This means Silkeborg will play in Europe while Drogheda misses out on their first European adventure since 2013.
Drogheda's Fight Against the Decision
The FAI Cup winners didn't go down without a fight. Drogheda claimed they had made significant efforts to work with UEFA on ownership and governance changes. They believed these changes would allow both clubs to compete.
The Irish side also argued that rule changes had been inconsistently communicated across various clubs. However, CAS wasn't convinced.
The sports court ruled that UEFA had properly communicated the change of assessment date. CAS decided Drogheda should have known about this change and rejected claims of unequal treatment by UEFA.
"We strongly disagree with this decision," Drogheda said in a club statement. "We had hoped and believed that the principles of fairness and common sense would prevail. We believe it is unjust."
Multi-Club Ownership Creates European Headaches
This case highlights the growing complications of multi-club ownership in European football. Last season, UEFA allowed Manchester City and Girona to both compete in the Champions League despite shared ownership connections.
Similarly, Manchester United and Nice both participated in the Europa League. UEFA's Club Financial Control Body said investors had implemented changes to avoid conflicts with regulations.
Crystal Palace's Europa League participation is currently under review. This is due to majority owner John Textor's involvement with Olympique Lyonnais, who also qualified for the competition.
For betting enthusiasts following European competitions, these ownership complications add another layer of uncertainty. Teams expected to compete can suddenly be removed, potentially affecting qualification rounds and tournament odds.
The precedent set by this decision could impact future cases involving multi-club ownership. Teams with such structures may need to reconsider their European ambitions or accelerate governance changes before qualification.
Drogheda fans will now have to wait longer for their return to European competitions. Meanwhile, Silkeborg supporters can look forward to Conference League action next season.
