Why have Everton been deducted ten points and can they appeal? Toffees dealt major blow to survival hopes

26/11/2023 13:37

Everton’s season has been drastically changed after the club was hit with a ten-point deduction.

The Premier League have acted quickly to punish the Toffees, who now face a huge battle to remain in the top-flight.

Everton were sitting well clear of the drop zone, but this sees them sink into the bottom three.

Why have Everton been deducted ten points?

The Premier League have found Everton to have breached their Financial Fair Play rules and have dished out an immediate ten-point deduction.

The top-flight’s profit and sustainability rules are strict regulations that must be adhered to, and an independent panel has found Everton guilty of breaking these.

The club was referred to the panel in March 2023, and they met last month to discuss the findings.

From 2018 to 2021, Everton posted losses of £372million, which is well over the £250m allowed every three years.

In a statement, the Premier League said: “An independent Commission has imposed an immediate deduction of 10 points on Everton FC for a breach of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs).

“The Premier League issued a complaint against the club and referred the case to an independent commission earlier this year.

“During the proceedings, the club admitted it was in breach of the PSRs for the period ending Season 2021-22, but the extent of the breach remained in dispute.

“Following a five-day hearing last month, the commission determined that Everton FC's PSR calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5million, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105million permitted under the PSRs.

“The commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed. That sanction has immediate effect.”

Can they appeal?

Sean Dyche’s men have the right to appeal this decision, and they have already started the process of getting it overturned.

The club strongly deny breaking the Premier League’s rules and blame the losses on their new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.

The Toffees don’t feel that a sporting sanction is fair and will attempt to use previous examples, such as fines handed out to the clubs that tried to join the European Super League, to prove their case.

In a statement, the club 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. The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith, and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings. Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the Commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted.

“The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

“Everton cannot comment on this matter any further until the appeal process has concluded.”

What has been said?

Former Arsenal chairman David Dein has called Everton’s 10-point a ‘disaster’ for other clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the ex-Arsenal chairman said: “One has to differentiate between the Premier League charging and what happens after that.

“It is an independent tribunal, the Premier League actually have nothing to do with the result and the decision.

“The Premier League do the charging but do not do the judgement.

“To me, it seems extortionate but there you are. It could have a knock-on effect at other clubs and that would be a disaster.”