Everton fans can breathe a sigh of relief as their club’s massive penalty for violating financial regulations has been slashed from 10 to six points after a successful appeal.
The Toffees were hit with a shocking 10-point deduction in November for failing to comply with the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) over a three-year span. The historic sanction sent them tumbling from 14th to 19th in the standings, putting them in serious danger of relegation.
But the Merseyside club fought back and challenged the decision on nine grounds, arguing that the punishment was unfair and excessive. A three-member appeal board agreed with them on two counts, finding that the original commission had made legal errors and had not considered relevant benchmarks.
The appeal board also cleared Everton of any bad faith, saying that they were not “less than frank” about their new stadium debt. The club welcomed the verdict, calling it “an incredibly important point of principle”.
The reduced penalty means that Everton have climbed from 17th to 15th in the table, giving them some breathing space above the bottom three. However, they are not out of the woods yet, as they face another possible points deduction for a second breach of the rules, covering the seasons up to 2022-23. That case is due to be heard by 8 April.
Everton, who admitted the first breach, said they are “fully committed to co-operating” with the Premier League over the second charge. They also hope to end their dismal run of form, as they have not won a league game since 16 December.
