The Premier League handed Everton a 10 point deduction for breaches of Financial Fair Play rules on Friday. The Toffees now sit joint bottom of the table after the punishment.
With three wins in their past five games, it comes as a significant blow to the club who looked to have turned a corner in recent times.
Back in March, the club was referred to an independent commission for breaches relating to the 2021/22 season.
Current rules allow clubs to lose £105 million over a three year period, but a recent calculation has shown that the club lost £124 million in the time period.
The Premier League announced the sanctions in a statement earlier today.
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.
Following a five-day hearing last month, the Commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR Calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5 million, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted under the PSRs.
The Commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed. That sanction has immediate effect.
The news of the heaviest sanction ever commissioned by the Premier League has caused ructions in the footballing world, with many rivals fans and players taking to social media to defend the club.
Everton themselves were also quick to release a statement about the point deduction.
Everton want other clubs held accountable
With Manchester City currently facing 115 charges, many have called for the Premier League to warrant sanctions on the reigning champions next.
Chelsea are also being threatened with sanctions, with an investigation underway into hidden payments made by Roman Abramovich during his time as the owner.
The Goodison Park outfit were quick to highlight financial charges for other clubs in their statement and confirm that they will be appealing the decision.
The club believes that the Commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction
The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence and the club’s case will be heard by an Appeal Board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course.
Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process.
The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings.
Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted.
The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
There is talk that City and Chelsea could be facing relegation should the Premier League choose to crack down.
Social media meltdown
It's not only Everton supporters who have voiced their opinions on the point deduction, with many fans and pundits quick to call on the Premier League to punish other clubs facing charges.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was one of the first to offer his views.
The 10 point deduction for Everton is excessive & not right, considering they have been working with the PL about this for the last couple of years.
Would it have been better to be evasive & try & drag it out like other clubs?No doubt relegated clubs will have put big…
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) November 17, 2023
With @Everton being docked 10 points it will be very interesting to see if other clubs are sanctioned.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 17, 2023
The Premier League have taken on one of the Founding Fathers of English football, Everton.
Everton will have a lot of sympathy in the Premier League "dressing room" should other clubs not be treated as Everton have today.
Popcorn time.
— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) November 17, 2023
With an appeal imminent from Everton, the next few days is bound to be make or break for other clubs facing charges for breaches of FFP.
SEE ALSO: Report: Man United Eye Italian Defender To Bolster Defensive Options
