BREAKING NEWS: VERY SAD NEWS has been announced this morning as THREE Premier League clubs have now been deducted points!
What is going on?! Two have been sent to relegation
The deduction, which was meted out by an independent commission and will be imposed with immediate effect, is the largest in the history of the Premier League and plunges Sean Dyche’s team into the relegation zone.
According to the Premier League, Everton admitted during a five-day hearing it was in breach of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
The commission determined that “Everton’s PSR calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5m, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted under the PSRs.”
After narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship last season, Everton were – prior to their points loss – 14th in the league table, eight points above the bottom three.
Only three clubs have previously been docked points in Premier League history. Middlesbrough were deducted three for failing to fulfil a fixture against Blackburn in 1996/97, and Portsmouth were stripped of nine after entering administration in March 2010.
Tottenham were handed a 12-point deduction before the 1994/95 season for financial irregularities committed several seasons earlier, but that punishment was initially reduced to six points before eventually being revoked.
Everton were referred to an independent commission by the Premier League in March for a potential breach of profit and sustainability rules.
The club said they would “robustly defend” and “strongly contest” the charge ahead of a hearing which took place last month.
Sky Sports News understands Everton feel their overspend was brought about by unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances and they have justifiable mitigation. The war in Ukraine led Everton to severing financial ties with Alisher Usmanov’s holding company USM.
On top of the 15 commercial deals they had with USM, they lost a naming rights deal for the new stadium at Bramley Moore dock worth £200m. This would have been activated once planning permission was granted.
It is also understood Dyche was told about the independent commission’s punishment by director of football Kevin Thelwell and is said to share the club’s disappointment and surprise at the verdict.
In a statement, Everton said: “Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s commission.
“The club believes that the commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction.
“The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence and the club’s case will be heard by an appeal board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course.
“Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process.
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