Man City has been charged with 115 alleged breaches of football’s financial rules. Everton has received a two-point penalty from the Premier League due to a breach of profit and sustainability regulations. The club has stated that they will appeal this decision.
They admitted to a financial loss of £16.6 million over the permitted £105 million for a given three-year period. This comes at a time when similar charges are hanging over Manchester City, causing confusion among football fans. Everton’s punishment is related to the three-year cycle up to the 2022-23 season.
They feel that this is a “double punishment,” as they were previously deducted 10 points for losses incurred over a three-year period up to the 2021-22 season, which was later reduced to six points upon appeal. Nottingham Forest has also been deducted four points for breaching PSR, putting both clubs in a challenging position to remain in the Premier League. Fans are questioning the lack of punishment for Manchester City, who face 115 alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play and PSR over a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018.
The Premier League claims that City failed to provide accurate financial information during this time. The previous decision to fast-track independent commissions for teams accused of breaching financial rules aimed to ensure that punishments were delivered promptly, as demonstrated by the penalties imposed on Everton and Forest this season. However, City’s case is more complex, leading to a longer investigation.
Everton had only one charge against them when initially penalized with a 10-point deduction, and they cooperated fully, making the investigation more manageable. On the other hand, City denies any wrongdoing, making the probe more challenging. Premier League CEO Richard Masters informed MPs earlier this year that there is a timescale for the investigation, which cannot be made public yet.
Everton is dissatisfied with the length of time it is taking to investigate City’s breaches and believes they should have received a speedier punishment by fully cooperating with the Premier League.