Crystal Palace are demanding UEFA disclose all correspondence with Nottingham Forest as they fight to overturn their demotion from the Europa League over multi-club ownership rules.
The south London club believe emails between UEFA and Forest will reveal double standards in how the March 1 deadline for compliance was applied, with an alleged secret extension.
Palace were stripped of their Europa League place last week because former major shareholder John Textor's ownership of Lyon breached regulations.
Forest have been promoted from the Conference League to take Palace's slot, but Palace officials are convinced Forest were granted extensions beyond March 1 to resolve similar ownership issues involving Evangelos Marinakis, who also owns Greek club Olympiakos.
PA | Evangelos Marinakis relinquished control of the club in April over worries they would qualify for the Champions League along with Olympiacos, who he also owns
The Eagles will appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Palace's case has been strengthened by an October email from the European Club Association (ECA) advising member clubs that UEFA would permit outstanding multi-club ownership issues to be resolved until May 31, not the March 1 deadline used to eject them.
The ECA, which negotiates revenue distribution from UEFA competitions, told several ownership groups the deadline was flexible.
JUST IN: Arsenal confirm £52million Noni Madueke signing from Premier League rivals Chelsea
Getty
|Steve Parish and Crystal Palace believe they have a strong case, particularly with the latest email revelation
UEFA's club financial control body has insisted the March 1 deadline, brought forward for this season only, is definitive, however, mounting evidence suggests otherwise.
Palace argue the deadline was never seriously enforced on anyone but themselves, pointing to Chelsea, Barcelona and Aston Villa negotiating financial breach fines as recently as this month.
Palace resolved their ownership concerns when Eagle Football, which also owns Lyon, sold its 43 per cent stake to US billionaire Woody Johnson.
Chairman Steve Parish has also continued to emphasise that Textor held no decisive influence at the club and that Palace and Lyon shared no resources, players, staff or infrastructure.
READ MORE: Michail Antonio reveals he remembers NOTHING of horror crash as he looks to return to club football
Forest's owner Marinakis did not divest himself of his directorship of the Premier League club until April 29, well beyond the March 1 deadline.
Though Forest ultimately failed to qualify for the Champions League, avoiding a direct conflict with Olympiakos, UEFA has refused to disclose any correspondence about Forest's multi-club ownership issues.
This refusal has prompted concern among the three clubs that have lost UEFA places because of multi-club ownership problems.
Palace will present their case to CAS demanding UEFA hand over what they believe are "bombshell" emails with Forest that could result in their reinstatement to the Europa League.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
- Manchester United legend claims fans have 's**t' on ex-player of season as he outlines top targets
- Andy Farrell defends Lions selection controversy after breaking 130-year record
- Conor McGregor's fiancee makes feelings clear on latest scandal in bizarre social media post
Getty | John Textor's stake in Lyon, who qualified for the Europa League by finishing sixth in France, has created the multi-club ownership problem for Crystal Palace
Eagles bosses also believe Forest wrote to UEFA expressing their expectation that Palace should be demoted. They are convinced correspondence exists showing Forest, unlike Palace, were allowed to extend the March 1 deadline.
The FA has written to UEFA supporting Palace's case, while Liberal Democrat MPs have asked culture secretary Lisa Nandy to intervene in what they branded a "disgraceful" decision.
Hundreds of Palace supporters marched to Selhurst Park this week in protest.
The Holmesdale Fanatics ultras group called the decision "a terrible injustice for both our club and the game of football as a whole".
Other multi-club organisations including Red Bull, City Football Group and Ineos have complied with regulations by transferring ownership temporarily to blind trusts, allowing teams within the same group to compete in UEFA competitions.
Palace are considering all options, including legal action, while digesting UEFA's written reasons for their demotion.
The Conference League play-off round draw, which Palace would now enter, is scheduled for August 4.