Leicester City confirm in a statement that they have taken to ‘issue two urgent legal proceedings against the Premier League and the EFL’.
The Foxes have been placed under a player registration embargo by the EFL. Embargo imposed after Leicester allegedly exceeded the upper loss threshold in their P & S calculation results.
It comes just 24 hours after they were formally charged by the Premier League on Thursday evening for breaching the financial regulations, and referred to an independent commission for breaching PSR and failing to ‘submit their audited financial accounts to the league’.
This afternoon, the Club has issued the following statement.
— Leicester City (@LCFC) March 22, 2024
LEICESTER STATEMENT:
LCFC has been compelled today to issue two urgent legal proceedings against the Premier League and the EFL. LCFC will be seeking that each of these proceedings is determined by an appropriate and fully independent legal panel.
The Club is committed to ensure that any charges against it are properly and proportionately determined, in accordance with the applicable rules, by the right bodies, and at the right time.
While LCFC would prefer the proceedings to be in public, so its supporters and the wider world can be informed about the important issues of football governance that will be considered, the relevant rules require that these proceedings are conducted confidentially, and LCFC will therefore not be able to comment further about them at this stage.
We reaffirm the Club’s position that we will continue to fight for the right of Leicester City and all clubs to pursue their ambitions, particularly where these have been reasonably and fairly established through sustained sporting achievement.
The Club further notes that at 4pm today the EFL issued a public notification that LCFC has been placed under a registration embargo pursuant to its P&S rules. The EFL is aware that LCFC has disputed the EFL’s entitlement to impose this constraint, which is both restrictive and premature, with more than a quarter of the Club’s 2023/24 reporting period remaining.
SEE MORE: Big implications as Leicester hit out at being charged by the Premier League
Sky Sports chief news reporter Kaveh Solhekol explained the possible repercussions for Leicester after the Championship club was charged by the Premier League over an alleged breach of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
He said: “The simple answer to that is this alleged breach has happened over a three-year period when Leicester were in the Premier League. So it’s alleged they broke Premier League rules, it isn’t to do with the EFL but I can understand why some of their competitors in the EFL would be saying they had an unfair advantage because of this.
“It puts into sharp focus how controversial these rules have turned out to be. It’s no surprise there’s so much debate and discussion within clubs about changing these rules as soon as possible.
“Leicester are a club who provided the Premier League with one of, if not the most memorable moment, winning the title under Claudio Ranieri. After that, they actually had to balance the books, sell players and some of their managers have not been happy with operating with one hand tied behind their back.
“I don’t think you could accuse them of going out and spending crazy money to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors in the Premier League.
“The clubs voted to bring in these rules and this fast-track system. But Leicester were relegated before this fast-track system was introduced so we’ll have to wait and see exactly what the timetable is going to be for this case to be heard.”
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
“Leicester’s statement criticises the Premier League for not understanding the situation at the club, it says they will talk to their lawyers and ‘if necessary continue to defend itself from any unlawful acts by the football authorities’. That’s inflammatory language.
“It shows how strongly they feel about this, how angry they are about this. I wonder how that will be received by the EFL and Premier League who will argue, as the Premier League always have, that all they do is enforce the rules of PSR – rules that are voted on by the clubs themselves.
“This is going to be a long-running dispute, a long-running issue for Leicester and the Premier League. It’s going to go beyond the summer. That’s been made clear to me.”
Twitter users reacted as Leicester ‘issue two urgent legal proceedings against the Premier League and the EFL’…
@Daniel__Orme: This is going to get messy #lcfc
@TheSirRobotto: The FA, Premier League & EFL want to ensure no club has the audacity to dream, have ambition and be successful if they are not one of the already elected elite clubs. You’ll never take our success away from us #LCFC
@Dazizz: If the board had been slightly more communicative prior to this point with supporters I suspect fans would possibly be more forthcoming in their sympathy now. Key time of the season when distractions not needed. What a shit show #lcfc @BSLBPodcast
@SweeneySean_:
All our issues stem from contracts
From Rodgers’ new deal, doubling his wage to stop him going to Arsenal
Ridiculous wages given to new signings that didn’t deserve them
Allowing contracts to run out, losing assets on a free
Extending contracts of squad players
All of these issues directly impacted performances on the pitch
#LCFC 🦊
@BrummieTricky: Yeah, that’ll teach them. Putting them in a transfer embargo when it’s closed
@craigbird: Fans should be supporting not attacking, purely for this paragraph released in a club statement; “We reaffirm the Club’s position that we will continue to fight for the right of Leicester City and all clubs to pursue their ambitions”. This is a fight for all outside the big 6
@sharemyyear: So they can’t buy players, during a period where no one can buy players?? I appreciate that also includes no unattached players can join, but practically speaking, when does that happen.
@MarkHowsham: Now that will hurt them, Will have to wait until.. Oh. Hang on
@adam2986: Embargo placed OUTSIDE of a transfer window…wtf does that achieve? Nothing. Real punishment that is 🤣
@rossjporter: Fuck, really unfair that we now can’t sign anyone in the Easter transfer window. #lcfc
@Mattt_lcfc: we’re finished, rudkin top and whelan need to address the fans or piss off
@MrDanzy83: Whichever way you look at it, the way this club has been ran over last 2-3 seasons is cause for concern. Not sure many would disagree if King power decided to sell up now. Top out of his depth and hasn’t shown anything to fix his mess by keeping Rudkin in his position.
@tubbytriathlete: Here is my statement Rudkin and Whelan knew we were overspending they are both incompetent and need to be removed with immediate effect … we need a Rudkin Whelan out Tifo
@CJ_1975_: fa/prem ignore clubs who are in the mire due to poor ownership and ignore owners fleecing clubs while chasing ambitious owners who are trying to bridge the scandalous financial gulf and actual inequality the fa/premier league have themselves created, it’s a protection racket
@D3vil_bs: Bro I’m sick off this shit just let us fucking be man
@olishaw1985: This cries desperation
@LCFCFamily: Doesn’t really affect us as we hopefully won’t be in this league next season. But if we still are we will have no money to buy anyone anyway 😀 not sure how that would affect any potential player contract extension 🤷
@s_n_t_19: Strange logic behind the @EFL, A) implementing sanctions for a PSR breach before we’ve closed our financial results for this season B) implementing sanctions that don’t impact us until summer whilst in the midst a promotion battle – i.e. “no promotion & you’re screwed” #LCFC
@whatkatydid_nxt: So we’ve gone from one of the best run clubs to one of the worst. This wouldn’t have happened on Vichai’s watch #lcfc
@shamirmawji: Wow! Some statement! A big 🖕🏾to both This could get nasty! Sure the fans will now be up for this – let’s help the players do the business on the pitch and then what will be will be! #LCFC #foxesneverquit 🦊 #siegementality
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