Everton to be ‘served’ another ‘two to three point deduction’ as ‘ludicrous’ FFP twist leaves Dyche seething
Sean Dyche and Everton could land another points penalty over FFP issues
Everton are facing yet another Premier League penalty and could land another “two to three point” deduction following claims they face a further hearing on their second FFP rule breach.
A near three-year investigation into the Toffees’ finances saw them slapped with a mammoth 10-point deduction back in November when the club were found to be in breach of profit and sustainability rules (PSR). As an immediate consequence, Everton slipped immediately into the Premier League’s bottom three.
But with Sean Dyche and Co showing their fighting spirit, the Goodison Park outfit were able to pull clear of the drop zone off the back of an improved run of results on the back of that verdict.
Ever since then, their season has been dogged by concerns over their finances and while an appeal over that deduction saw the penalty reduced to six points, a second punishment was confirmed on Monday, seeing the Merseysiders struck by another two-point penalty.
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With Everton now slipping back a place to 16th, they are now only two points clear of safety and find themselves very much embroiled in a battle for survival.
However, their plight could be about to get a whole lot worse with the club’s former CEO Keith Wyness revealing the Premier League are not done with Everton yet and that the Premier League could serve them with yet another two to three point deduction.
That’s because it now claimed that an independent commission ruled on a breach of £16.6m – but the Premier League claim the actual figure stands at just over £23m, with the excess related to interest payments which the Toffees insist are directly attributable to stadium costs.
Everton face ANOTHER points penalty
The hearing into the alleged latest breach is not expected to be heard until later this year and it is not yet known if it will impact this season’s table or means Everton will start the 2024/25 campaign on a minus points tally.
Either way, Wyness is not happy and feels the Premier League table, and potential matters of relegation, are being decided by lawyers, rather than on actual football results.
Speaking on Football Insider’s podcast, Wyness said: “The third hearing is focusing on what now appears to be the Premier League arguing against auditors.
“Everton’s auditors have approved the six interest payments to be capitalised, which means they should be classed as stadium costs and not fall under PSR.
“The Premier League are now trying to be arbiters of accounting rules, which I find very strange.
“You would have thought it could be resolved in the last hearing.”
Wyness feels another penalty imposed against the Toffees would be ludicrous and is angry at the way the situation is being handled.
“To have it dragging on is ludicrous. From my own assessment, it could be another two to three points.
“I don’t think it will go that far, but that’s what Everton are facing.
“Tables are now being decided not just by lawyers, but now by accountants.”
With Wyness less than happy, imagine how Dyche and his Everton players must be feeling, with their very Premier League status probably in the hands of the football rule-makers as opposed to how many points they win.
The Toffees are next in action on Monday evening when they travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, before they tackle Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on Sunday week in what now ranks as a must-win game.
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