According to Stefan Borson, a lawyer who previously advised Manchester City, Premier League giants City and Chelsea may receive harsher penalties than Everton.
Everton, which plays in the Football Premier League, received cold water on its neck on Friday, when it was punished for violating the financial and profitability rules of the series by deducting ten league points.
The league had filed a complaint against the club and referred the matter to a so-called independent commission earlier this year.
According to the Premier League’s announcement Everton had admitted to breaching the rules in the 2021-2022 season, but the extent of the breach had remained in dispute.
After a hearing last month, the commission concluded that Everton had made losses of around 142.1 million euros over a three-year period, in which the maximum amount allowed would have been 120 million.
Before the penalty, Everton was in 14th place in the Premier League after collecting 14 points from 12 matches. Due to the loss of points, the Liverpool club dropped to the second last position in 19th place, and will have to fight even harder to stay in the highest league level in England, where they have played continuously since 1954.
The penalty received by the club is the hardest ever points penalty given to a Premier League team. Points have been taken from teams in England’s highest league level only five times before.
Sunderland, 2 points in 1890-91. Gambling by an unregistered player.
Arsenal, 2 points and Manchester United 1 point in the 1990–91 season. Group fight on the field.
Middlesbrough, 3 points in 1996-97. Couldn’t assemble a team for the match against Blackburn.
Portsmouth, 9 points in 2009-2010. Going into receivership due to financial problems.
Everton, 10 points in 2023-24. Violation of financial and profitability rules.
How about the giants of the series?
Everton received a heavy penalty for a single violation of Premier League rules. However, it is not the only English club that has managed its finances in a big way.
The last few years have dominated the Premier League Manchester City are being investigated 115 of financial crimes. Some of City’s violations have already occurred in the 2009–2010 season.
For example, the club has exaggerated its sponsorship income, drawn up secret fee agreements and approached minor footballers with contract offers in violation of the rules. It has involved hidden contracts and fees worth tens of millions.
The European football association Uefa punished City for the aforementioned rule violations in February 2020. Uefa banned the club from competitions for two years and fined it 30 million euros.
Later that year, the international court of appeal for sport, CAS, partially overturned the ruling after City appealed its ruling.
This time, City will not be able to appeal to CAS against any convictions they may have on the same charges. There is no similar statute of limitations for violations in the Premier League rules, which CAS relied on in its own decision.
Owner of Chelsea between 2003 and 2022 Roman Abramovich appears to have transferred tens of millions to the club through his tax haven companies. Todd Boehly era Chelsea is circumvented UEFA’s fair play regulations with long player contracts.
A lawyer who previously advised City by Stefan Borson according to Premier League giants City and Chelsea may receive harsher punishments than Everton.
– Without knowing the Everton case in more detail, the point penalty seems like a severe violation of the economic rule. The ruling confirms that if City and Chelsea are found guilty, the penalties could lead to relegation from the Premier League, Borson said.
The City and Chelsea cases are more complicated than Everton, so it may take a long time to investigate them.
Everton could lose more points
Everton’s according to the release the punishment it receives is unreasonable. The club, which has sunk to the bottom of the Premier League in recent years, plans to appeal the decision.
The Daily Mail reports, that Liverpool’s blue-shirted team may still lose even more series points. Burnley, Leeds United and Leicester plan to demand a total of 342 million euros in compensation from Everton.
Leeds and Burnley battled relegation with Everton in the 2021–22 season, which saw Burnley relegated. It was in that season that Everton spent too much money. The following season, Leeds and Leicester were relegated, while Everton remained with two points.
Everton would probably not be able to pay the million sum demanded by the clubs, in which case it would have to go into liquidation, which means a deduction of nine points according to the rules of the Premier League.