Everton fuming after shock 10-point deduction

EVERTON became the first Premier League club to be deducted points for breaching profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) yesterday, when the league docked the Merseyside club 10 points over their finances in the 2020-21 season.

An independent commission imposed an immediate deduction which will see Everton drop from 14th in the standings into the relegation zone with four points, above bottom side Burnley on goal difference.

The club described the decision as unjust and said it would appeal. The Premier League said it had issued a complaint against the Merseyside club and referred the case to the 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,” the league said in a statement.

“The Commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR Calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of 124.5 million pounds, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of 105 million pounds permitted under the PSRs.”

Everton’s most recent figures showed a fifth straight year of losses, with their total loss over that period amounting to over 430 million pounds ($534.36 million).

The club said they had posted a loss of 44.7 million pounds for the 2021-22 season earlier this year.

After three straight years of losses in excess of 100 million pounds, Everton said they had made significant reductions to their losses, down 76 million pounds from the previous year’s loss of 121 million pounds.

While Everton’s 10-point deduction for breaching the league’s financial rules is unprecedented, clubs in England’s top flight have been docked points before.

Middlesbrough had three points deducted in 1997 when they failed to fulfil a fixture against Blackburn Rovers while Portsmouth were given a nine-point penalty in 2010 when the financially troubled club entered administration.

Revised English Premiership standings