UEFA have demoted FA Cup champions Crystal Palace to the Conference League, with Nottingham Forest to take their Europa League slot.

According to UEFA, Palace were sanctioned after breaching its rules on multi-club ownership.

The rule states that clubs with the same owner are barred from competing in the same UEFA competition if an individual or ownership group is considered to have a decisive influence over more than one of those teams.

Nottingham Forest are expected to replace them in the tournament, although the Court of Arbitration for Sport have yet to decide.

John Textor, Crystal Palace’s largest shareholder and the owner of Lyon. had till March 1 to resolve the multi-club ownership issues.

However, Textor recently agreed a deal to sell his Palace shares to the US billionaire Woody Johnson, but the move has not been completed and was deemed to have come too late.

Lyon were also expected to face similar sanctions but won their appeal against relegation to Ligue 2 this week, clearing them to take their place in the tournament.

The Crystal Palace officials have revealed that they will appeal the demotion at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Despite ongoing speculation, Manchester United have not made any concrete move to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, as uncertainty continues to surround his future at Napoli.

Osimhen is reportedly eager to leave the Serie A club permanently this summer, having made it clear that he is unwilling to play under new head coach Antonio Conte.

Although Napoli are keen to retain the 26-year-old forward — especially following his impressive loan spell at Galatasaray — the player is determined to return to the Turkish club on a permanent basis. Reports suggest Galatasaray are ready to offer Osimhen a lucrative deal worth around €16 million per season, a major factor given the lack of offers from top European clubs so far.

Manchester United have long been linked with Osimhen as they continue their search for a prolific striker to resolve their recent goal-scoring struggles. However, Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed on his YouTube channel that United have not submitted any offer for Osimhen — largely due to his high wage demands.

“Many are asking if Manchester United might step in to hijack the deal,” Romano said. “I’m not aware of any move from United — not just because of the €75 million price tag, but mainly due to salary concerns.

“Osimhen earns €12 million net per year at Napoli, and Galatasaray are willing to go up to €16 million. That kind of salary is far beyond Manchester United’s current wage structure.”

Romano emphasized that salary has been a consistent issue preventing Premier League clubs from pursuing the striker, both last summer and now.

Napoli have reportedly rejected Galatasaray’s bid for Osimhen, leaving the player’s next move unclear just weeks before the new season begins. The club has also instructed him to report for pre-season training — but as of the time of writing, Osimhen has yet to do so.

Chinwendu Ihezuo’s late goal sealed a second consecutive win for the Super Falcons at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Thursday.

With the win, the Falcons now have six points, which guarantees the team a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Coach Justin Madugu stuck with the same starting eleven against Tunisia. But after a difficult first half with no breakthrough, he introduced Esther Okoronkwo and Chinwendu Ihezuo to inject fresh energy.

The substitutions eventually paid off as the Mares’ resistance was broken late in the game.

Ihezuo ensured that her introduction into the game counted in the 88th minute, latching onto a loose ball in the opponent’s box to give Nigeria the maximum points.

The late strike against Botswana is Ihezuo’s second goal in the tournament, following her strike in the 3-0 win against Tunisia in Nigeria’s first match.

Both Okoronkwo and Ashleigh Plumptre also had a chance in the second half, but were denied by the Botswana keeper.

Nigeria will play their last match in the group against Algeria on Sunday.