Chelsea and Manchester City fear relegation after Everton’s historic ten-point deduction for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
Everton’s sanction has raised concerns from other clubs in the Premier League who are under investigation for similar offenses.
UK legal sports experts have suggested that if found guilty, both Manchester City, who faced 115 FFP charges in January, and Chelsea, currently under investigation for transfers during Roman Abramovich’s tenure, could potentially face relegation.
Stefan Borson, a popular sports lawyer said, “Ten points for Everton feels harsh for a straightforward Financial Fair Play breach.
“But it reinforces that sanctions against City and now Chelsea will be potentially relegation-inducing,” The Sun UK reported.
Manchester City have in the past, consistently denied all allegations on the case and fielded top legal representatives.
Chelsea, on the other hand, disclosed issues of illegal financial dealings from Abramovich’s era and are awaiting the outcome of investigations into the alleged offenses that span over multiple years.
Meanwhile, the three-man commission leading Everton’s case noted the gravity of the breach.
They said that Everton had an irresponsible management of finances and failed to operate within the agreed threshold.
“Everton’s culpability is great. This was a serious breach that requires a significant penalty.
“We cannot ignore the fact that the failure to comply with the regime was the result of Everton irresponsibly taking a chance that things would turn out positively.
“Further, Everton was less than frank in its dealings with the Premier League over the stadium interest issue.
“Everton failed to manage its finances so as to operate within the generous threshold,” they added.
Everton’s interim chief Colin Chong on the other hand, has vowed that the club will appeal the decision, stating it’s a verdict that affects the club, just as it affects it fans.
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