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Toffees are breathing a sigh of relief Monday as their team gets a slightly more comfortable cushion away from the regulation zone.
Everton FC dropped 10 points in November as punishment for violating the English Premier League’s financial rules, immediately placing it in the regulation zone. The club’s appeal was partially successful, and the penalty changed to six points Monday, a crucial five points above relegation.
The initial punishment—the biggest points deduction in the league’s history and the first one on account of financial rules—came after an independent commission hired by the EPL found Everton violated the league’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, formerly called Financial Fair Play. The rules state clubs aren’t allowed to lose more than £105 million ($130.8 million) in a three-year time frame, and in the period ending with the 2021–22 season, the commission found Everton lost £124.5 million ($155 million). The rules are designed to encourage long-term financial responsibility and avoid overspending.
Everton immediately appealed the decision. Two of the team’s nine grounds for appeal were upheld by an independent appeals board, the EPL said in a statement, leading to the change.
Everton confirmed the news in a statement Monday and said that the appeals board overturned the original finding that the club had “failed to act in utmost good faith.”
“While the Club is still digesting the Appeal Board’s decision, we are satisfied our appeal has resulted in a reduction in the points sanction,” the statement read.
The decision is also good news for Chelsea and Manchester City, which face PSR issues. Last year, the EPL charged City with more than 100 counts of violations from 2009 to ’18, including failing to provide accurate information and cooperate with investigations.
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