Man City and Chelsea could both be relegated for FFP violations

Chelsea and Man City most likely paid very close attention to the news regarding Everton‘s FFP penalty on Friday.

The Toffees were handed a deduction of 10 points for violating Financial Fair Play (FFP) laws. It is the harshest punishment ever for a Premier League club. As a result of the deduction, Everton now sits 19th in the table.

While some have said that the penalty for the Merseyside club was harsh, Chelsea and City may be hit with an even tougher penalty. Everton essentially only broke one specific financial rule. However, City have been hit with 115 law violations for a series of issues between 2009 and 2018.

Much like the reigning champions, Chelsea also faces multiple charges as well. The Blues are under investigation due to numerous payments during the Roman Abramovich era. The Russian oligarch previously owned the club for nearly two decades before being forced to sell in 2022.

These payments in question apparently crossed through offshore accounts belonging to Abramovich. The transactions also seemingly benefited multiple people involved with Chelsea. This includes former manager Antonio Conte, Eden Hazard’s agent, and other high-ranking execs in the team. Several transfers, including Hazard’s, are also being looked at as well.

Chelsea, Man City likely to receive more severe penalty if found guilty of FFP breach

Because both Chelsea and City face many more charges than Everton, the duo could very well receive harsher punishment. The Times is even suggesting that the two top teams could be given a 30-point deduction or even automatic relegation. Either of these two scenarios would be unprecedented in the Premier League’s history.

Luton Town was previously docked 30 points during the 2008/09 season. Nevertheless, the club was playing in League Two at the time. The points deduction meant that the Hatters finished bottom of the table and were relegated to the National League. It was the second consecutive season that the club was relegated. Luton Town was punished for irregular transfers and having to go into administration.

Blues recorded huge losses prior to 2023

Everton’s financial issue essentially came down to losses during a three-year span. Premier League rules currently state that clubs can’t lose $130 million during a three-year span. However, the Toffees were found to have recorded $154 million losses during this timeframe.

City recently revealed record profits, but Chelsea have suffered in recent seasons. According to the aforementioned news source, the Blues recorded $340 million losses during a two-year stretch from 2020 to 2022.

Some financial experts believe the club’s sell off during the summer will help them avoid FFP violations. Chelsea sold a host of players including Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, and Mateo Kovacic during the summer transfer window. However, the Blues still ended up spending more than they earned in the market.

Chelsea and City are two of the top teams in England. In fact, the duo has combined to win 10 of the last 14 Premier League titles. However, neither side were level with other huge clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, or Arsenal prior to receiving significant financial backing earlier this century. In fact, before the Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour eras, Chelsea and City only had three combined English top flight titles in their histories.

Photo credits: IMAGO / Sebastian Frej : IMAGO / PA Images