Everton Football Club has been found in breach of Premier League financial regulations, specifically the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), for the three-year period up to 2022-23.
Despite appealing, Everton’s breach of £16.6m, exceeding the permitted loss by 15.8%, led to a six-point deduction, dropping them to 16th place in the league, just two points above the relegation zone.
The club argues that they’ve already faced punishment this season, with a previous deduction reduced from 10 to six points, and have suffered revenue losses due to the suspension of a sponsorship deal with a Russian company amidst the war in Ukraine.
Everton’s early admission of guilt also factored into the mitigation, resulting in a reduction of the points deduction. However, the club’s dispute with the Premier League over whether costs related to their new stadium should count as PSR losses remains unresolved.
Another independent commission will convene to address this issue, potentially leading to further punishment, although it’s unlikely to be resolved before the season ends. Everton expressed concern over the inconsistency of punishments across different cases this season, highlighting four different commissions issuing four different points deductions.
Meanwhile, the Premier League reaffirmed the importance of enforcing PSR breaches with sporting sanctions. With the appeal process ongoing, the final outcome may not be determined until after the Premier League season concludes in May.
