EFL club risk ‘immediate’ expulsion from league if controversial owner can’t sell club within 28 days
03/21/2025 11:39 AM
Reading face the prospect being thrown out of the Football League unless the club is sold imminently.
The EFL submitted a letter to a London court stating they plan to disqualify current owner Dai Yongge from being a director on April 4 due to overseas debt.
Under EFL rules the controversial Chinese businessman would have 28 days from disqualification to sell his shares at which point Reading could be expelled from the league.
The bombshell came to light during a hearing at London Commercial Court into a dispute between Yongge and Rob Couhig over the potential purchase of the Royals last year.
Yongge previously agreed to a £30million deal to sell the Royals to Couhig, an American lawyer, but the deal ultimately collapsed.
Reading also entered a period of exclusivity with an interested party ahead of a mooted takeover in February.
Yongge purchased an initial 75 per cent share in Reading in 2017 before he took full ownership.
However, Yongge’s ownership in recent years has been dogged by off-field difficulties.
The Royals have been hit with several points deductions due to falling foul of the EFL’s Financial Fair Play rules as well as unpaid taxes.
As a result of the constant points deductions, Reading were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Reading were also docked a total of six points last term in League One as they recorded a 17th-place finish.
More to follow…
