Everton have been handed a 10-point deduction this season for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.
The club was referred to an independent commission in March for alleged breaches relating to the 2021-22 season and a hearing took place last month.
Everton could have been fined or given a transfer embargo, but the Premier League have now confirmed the punishment of a points deduction, which will see Sean Dyche’s side drop to 19th in the table, only above bottom-placed Burnley on goal difference.
A statement from the Premier League read: “An...
This is overdoing it from the league I think but it is worth understanding why they’ve faced a punishment after a much shorter investigation than City who are obviously yet to face any kind of punishment.
Everton’s case is black and white. They’ve been transparent and cooperative in providing the league with information to support the investigation. Everton had to do this; they don’t have the security of position in the league to fight a battle over years because by the time the I bbc estivation ended, they could have already been relegated. Further to this, they don’t have the financial clout to battle as well as City can. Whether they won or lost their battle, it’s too much risk.
City’s investigation, meanwhile, has more layers to it. Their investigation isn’t into the plain number of money lost, it’s into how City have covered potentially higher losses and how they’ve circumvented FFP by allowing them to pay players and staff beyond what FFP allows by having a subsidiary pay half of their wages. This is harder to prove, is more complex and potentially, much more serious. If Everton can get 10 points for this then City could face expulsion.
If I had to guess what’s going to happen, if City are found guilty, is that they’ll face a 5-year-plus expulsion from the Premier League. The EFL, seeing that their competition is diminished by a member club being unable to achieve promotion, would likely expel City as well for a year. Meaning, by the time City could theoretically reach the top flight again, their expulsion would be over. Whether City will be found guilty is obviously another question entirely but the punishment has been clearly outlined now and the reckoning has to increase based on number of counts. A points deduction won’t suffice for City.
Everton are just lucky that it’s come this season where they look comfortably better than most of the bottom half. It has opened a can of worms I don’t know if the league can be bothered with though regarding clubs who have been relegated due to the late ruling.
This is overdoing it from the league I think but it is worth understanding why they’ve faced a punishment after a much shorter investigation than City who are obviously yet to face any kind of punishment.
Everton’s case is black and white. They’ve been transparent and cooperative in providing the league with information to support the investigation. Everton had to do this; they don’t have the security of position in the league to fight a battle over years because by the time the I bbc estivation ended, they could have already been relegated. Further to this, they don’t have the financial clout to battle as well as City can. Whether they won or lost their battle, it’s too much risk.
City’s investigation, meanwhile, has more layers to it. Their investigation isn’t into the plain number of money lost, it’s into how City have covered potentially higher losses and how they’ve circumvented FFP by allowing them to pay players and staff beyond what FFP allows by having a subsidiary pay half of their wages. This is harder to prove, is more complex and potentially, much more serious. If Everton can get 10 points for this then City could face expulsion.
If I had to guess what’s going to happen, if City are found guilty, is that they’ll face a 5-year-plus expulsion from the Premier League. The EFL, seeing that their competition is diminished by a member club being unable to achieve promotion, would likely expel City as well for a year. Meaning, by the time City could theoretically reach the top flight again, their expulsion would be over. Whether City will be found guilty is obviously another question entirely but the punishment has been clearly outlined now and the reckoning has to increase based on number of counts. A points deduction won’t suffice for City.
Everton are just lucky that it’s come this season where they look comfortably better than most of the bottom half. It has opened a can of worms I don’t know if the league can be bothered with though regarding clubs who have been relegated due to the late ruling.