Everton has confirmed it issued an appeal for its record points deduction. The decision is hardly a surprise. The club previously announced its intention to fight the ruling immediately after the Premier League handed the punishment. An independent panel ruled in November that the Toffees breached profit and sustainability rules (PSR) during the 2021/22 season. As a result, they were docked 10 Premier League points.
“Everton Football Club has today lodged with the chair of the Premier League’s Judicial Panel its appeal of the decision by a Premier League Commission to impose a 10-point deduction on the club,” the club proclaimed on Friday. “An Appeal Board will now be appointed to hear the case.”
Everton recorded losses of just over $55 million for the 2021/22 financial year. This was the fifth consecutive year that the club reported a loss. Nevertheless, Premier League laws currently state that clubs cannot record losses of over $130 million during a three-year period. Everton, however, posted combined losses of around $154 million during this timeframe.
Everton appeal to points deduction has the support of fans
BBC reports that the independent panel has not fully explained to Everton exactly how they landed on the 10-point penalty. In turn, the Merseyside club believes that the heavy punishment for violating one law is unfair. Everton currently sits 19th in the English top-flight table, five points from safety. The Toffees would be in a more comfortable 15th in the standings if not for the punishment.
Sean Dyche says that the points deduction stunned the entire soccer world, not just Everton.
Everton supporters recently organized an anti-Premier League protest before and during their matchup with Manchester United. Thousands of fans met outside of Goodison Park last weekend to voice their frustrations on the points penalty. Many inside of the stadium also held up red cards with the Premier League logo and the word “corrupt” on them.
Several politicians have also joined in on the fight as well. The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, previously called for the penalty to be “null and void.” Burnham is an Everton season ticket holder. Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram joined in on his colleague’s opinions on the matter as well, calling the decision “wholly disproportionate.”
Toffees could face massive lawsuit regarding the violation
A panel will hear the Everton appeal to the points deduction in the near future. The commission will then determine whether or not the 10-point penalty was fair or not. A final decision on the appeal is expected to be completed before the end of the current season.
Nevertheless, Everton’s woes may not be over just yet. Burnley, Leeds, and Leicester City have all recently informed the Toffees that they intend to sue the Merseyside club. The trio of teams claim that Everton avoided previous relegation by breaking the financial rules. The Merseyside club finished 16th in the standings following the 2021/22 season. Burnley suffered relegation that year after finishing just four points behind Everton.
Leeds and Leicester both dropped the following campaign as the Toffees narrowly remained in the Premier League. The three clubs are planning to sue Everton for a combined $360 million ($120 million each). They have 28 days from when the panel imposed the penalty on Everton to decide if they officially want to pursue a lawsuit.
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