Chelsea and Man City face a very serious threat of a points deduction or automatic relegation, according to claims in The Times.
A former financial advisor to the current Premier League holders believes Pep Guardiola’s side and Chelsea run the risk of relegation, but it’s thought it could be a year or considerably longer (possibly two years for Man City) before those cases come to a conclusion.
Everton’s 10-point deduction looks to have hopefully set a powerful precedent, but the Toffees are left reeling by the punishment handed to them, sending them to second bottom of the table, and plan to launch an appeal.
According to The Times, the threat of a 30-point deduction or automatic relegation from the Premier League would look to be very real for both Manchester City and Chelsea should charges be proved in an independent regulatory commission.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 17, 2023
Man City face 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules and this could also see Chelsea facing the same scrutiny over alleged payments connected to former owner Roman Abramovich.
Stefan Borson, a lawyer who has advised Man City, said following the news regarding Everton: ‘Without seeing the judgement/award -10 points for Everton feels harsh for a straightforward FFP [Financial Fair Play] breach to me.
‘But reinforces that sanctions against City [if proven] and now Chelsea [if charged and admitted on the off-books payments] will be potentially relegation inducing.
‘One thing is for sure, given the scale of this sporting sanction, Chelsea’s calculus [in my opinion] that they could breach PL P&S [Profit and Sustainability] and just take a fine as a cost of doing business, must be in urgent and immediate reconsideration.
‘The January window may be interesting. Even in the best case, they can no longer rely on being able to convince an Independent Commission to accept their Covid and Sanctions allowances as exceptional adjustments [to the extent that was the plan].’
While it remains to be seen what happens ahead following City’s alleged 115 breaches of rules, which include sponsors and contracts, Borson goes on to say: “Alarmist or not, the sheer extent of the PL charges are at a level that IF found proven, must lead to relegation.”
Man City were charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules regarding sponsors and contracts over a period of nine years, Stefan Borson spoke of relegation being a potential sanction should they were found guilty.
He tweeted then: ‘Alarmist or not, the sheer extent of the PL charges are at a level that IF found proven, must lead to relegation.’
Nick Harris, of Mail Sport, responded: ‘Stefan is a former financial adviser to Man City, a Man City fan, a former banker, current lawyer, CEO & general counsel to a PLC dealing with allegations of historic accounting issues. Also well across FFP issues. So this is an interesting view.’
The Times’ chief sports reporter, Martyn Ziegler, have his thoughts on the City and Chelsea relegation claims.
“I think it is going to be much more serious for both Man City and Chelsea if their charges are proven,” Ziegler told talkSPORT.
“I mean Man City have had 115 charges, Everton just had one, and Chelsea are still under investigation, so we don’t know the number of charges there.
“If you look at Manchester City there are a lot more charges, but they are a lot more serious.
“So, there will be a real fear for Man City, that you are looking at potential relegation from the Premier League.
“How can you possible give something less [to Man City and Chelsea] than what Everton have received with one charge?”
Everton’s 10 point deduction sees them drop to joint bottom for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules, after being referred to an independent commission in March for alleged breaches relating to the 2021/22 campaign.
The hearing took place in October 2023, when it was made clear that the Premier League were pushing for a fairly large points deduction to set a precedent. The Toffees had financial losses of almost £372million over a three-year period.
This is over £250m above what the Premier League’s guidelines permits clubs to lose over a three-year rolling time frame.
Technical alleged breaches relating to accounting treatments sees the League arguing Everton breached profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Chelsea are reportedly under FA investigation with a possible points deduction sanction amid claims of ‘leaked’ documents, see more by clicking HERE.
They face fresh questions over how Roman Abramovich funded the club after leaked files revealed a string of secret payments that may have breached Financial Fair Play rules.
The Guardian took a look at leaked files which allegedly reveals a number of payments that amount to tens of millions of pounds made through offshore vehicles belonging to the club’s former owner, Abramovich, who sold Chelsea to a Todd Boehly-led consortium in May 2022 having been sanctioned by the UK government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. S
The League has not commented the allegations but it is likely it will look closely at the information reported.
A Chelsea spokesperson has since said: ‘These allegations pre-date the club’s current ownership. They are based on documents which the club has not been shown and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club.’
The last time a club in the Premier League got a points deduction was Portsmouth (10) having entered administration in 2010, going on to relegate them.
Everton are expected to point out that entering administration is far serious breach than their alleged doings.
Financial rules were relaxed by the Premier League during the Covid period with all clubs struggling due to the pandemic and lost gate receipts and commercial opportunities.
Yet the problem was far worse for Everton, and not helped by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said to be a mitigating factor, with direct impact on finances due to suspended commercial agreements and a pre-agreement for a significant naming rights’ deal on Bramley Moore Dock with Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov’s USM not happening due to the sanctions.
Everton add that they have cooperated and been in an ‘open and transparent’ imposed agreement with the Premier League since 2021 on the matter.
The club had already been dealing with financial guidelines, a salary cap, with transfer windows seeing them offload players in order to bring new ones in.
Everton’s net spend during the previous four transfer windows is at -£28million, better than majority of clubs, showing they are complying.
Meanwhile, Burnley, Leeds, Leicester and potentially Southampton reportedly intend to sue Everton for a total of £300m, with it again claimed Everton could lose a number of star players including keeper Jordan Pickford.
This is what fans had to say as reports claim that Chelsea and Man City face very serious threat of a points deduction or automatic relegation…
@mademetoxic: If Everton got 10 then how is 30 the right amount for City?
@Tom__Higgs: Too proud to accept future European tours because we’ve finished 12th and complied with FFP, whilst the other fuckers have overspent & been deducted points or relegated? Absolutely not. Throw the bastard book at the lot of them & get those passports back out. #wwfc
@LiamCrook1: 30 points won’t be enough. Void the Trophies, send them to the pits of non league and hit them with £1 billion pound fines
@StevenDayMedia: For this to happen, while Luton are in the Premier League, and then stayed up because of points deductions elsewhere, would be the sweetest most perfect justice served. I don’t think there would be anything in life more satisfying than that. If there is a god, please mate 🙏
@balebasznnn: you’ve got to send them down, 115 charges ffs
@TomAVFC_44: I would actually love it if this happened, it would make things 100x more interesting
@_callumfowler: City would still qualify for Europe with a – 30 what’s point
@MaccaLiv19: 30 points doesn’t even touch the sides with what City deserve. Titles need stripping and I don’t even want them given to us
@Fonzyy97: Blades finish below Derby’s points record and still stay up, some club ⚔️
@catterallwhite: Not a chance they would have the balls to do that.
@Chris_BoroUTB: Would just be #Boro’s luck that at least two of this season’s promotion places will go to last season’s relegated clubs, only for us be competing for promotion against Chelsea and City next season 🫣
@GK1Lob: Obviously so unlikely but the irony Luton Town could stay up because of points deductions/automatic relegations elsewhere 😅
Chelsea vs Man city in the championship. pic.twitter.com/InVErqwoFj
— M🍥 (@Mo_utdred) November 17, 2023
Man City and Chelsea watching Everton get hit with a 10 point deduction pic.twitter.com/zuIGKXsblb
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) November 17, 2023
Man City and Chelsea’s lawyers right now pic.twitter.com/XSBG5NBVHs
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) November 17, 2023
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