Sean Dyche questions why have Everton been punished but not Man City

Sean Dyche questions why have Everton been punished but not Man City ahead of the two side’s Premier League meeting this weekend.

He has expressed his confusion over the fact that Everton is being subjected to potentially being handed a second Premier League points deduction due to overspending.

But the investigation into Manchester City’s alleged breaches remains ongoing with there still no set date for the hearing.

Sean Dyche has questioned why Everton’s two breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules will be heard before Manchester City’s case is dealt with.

Read the details ⬇️https://t.co/nUJsgwEB9P

— Times Sport (@TimesSport) February 9, 2024

When asked whether he had any thoughts on the prospect of Everton having two cases dealt with before the case is heard around Man City, Dyche said, as per Liverpool Echo: “Not thoughts. Just like everyone else, we are all wondering what makes one rule for one and one rule for the other. I think that’s the only thing. I don’t know the ins and outs for every reason but I think we are all asking that.

“The people in the street are asking that – ‘why is it particularly Everton?’ I don’t know what the exact number is but they reference over 100 charges. I don’t know the implications of that either, I don’t know the detail of them charges but you go: ‘Well’. We have one. You just go with common sense, I’m not talking about the rules. I’m not questioning Man City or whatever they’ve done stuff or not done stuff. The point is it is certainly a long time. That story has been going round for a while now about all these charges. So…‘How come that’s that, how come that’s that’ and where is everyone else’s charges? What’s happening with them? I don’t even know how you answer that many charges if there is that many. I don’t know the variants of what the charges are.”

Dyche added: “The question mark would be, how come Everton are…? I think you’ll agree that it is not just from Evertonians. I know football people, I live in Nottingham, I know Forest fans, when I’m travelling around I stop at services and there’s always football fans and they go: ‘What’s that all about?’ Not just Evertonians but people are going: ‘Where does that come from?’ If they’re asking it and they’re usually saying the same thing which is ‘how come it is you then and not so and so’ so everyone is a bit like ‘come on then, where is it going? If you’re going to do it with them then you have to start doing it with everyone and you’re going to have to fast track everything because it is relevant now’. We will see.”

Man City was charged on the 6th of February 2023 for offences that are reported to have taken place between 2009 and 2018.

Additionally, they are accused of failing to cooperate with a comprehensive five-year investigation into their financial practices, which commenced in 2018.

In contrast, Everton’s initial charge for overspending was issued a month later in March 2023.

Upon admitting the breach, Everton received a 10-point deduction, and they have recently appealed this penalty, with a ruling expected next week.

Subsequently, a second charge was brought against Everton, and a separate hearing is scheduled to take place before the conclusion of this season.

To ensure that punishment closely aligns with any breach, Premier League clubs voted to fast-track independent commissions for those accused of overspending.

However, the Premier League has always said that the Man City was always going to take time, with there being more charges, and it being more complex, with Dyche even accepting he knew very little about City’s charges, but still but wondered why it was being treated differently to Everton.

In January, Dyche said it is “tough to take” after the club were again charged with breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.

He said in a lengthy defence of the club, as per The Guardian: “Since I’ve been here we’ve let players go out of contract when some of them we would have kept. We have been working hard to lower everything. We sold three young players in the timelines we were given to make sure the money was in. We wouldn’t normally have sold those young players.

“The new stadium speaks for itself, and the effect that will have on the city. The old stadium will be developed for good causes. Alongside that we are still trying to put a team out that can be competitive, signing players on deals that are done in a year’s time [Beto’s transfer fee is paid this summer], and then you end up with an on-pitch sanction when we’ve tried to do everything we can to solve all these conundrums.

“There have been mistakes made I’m sure down the years, that is a natural part of football, particularly in player trading. But there is a lot going on at this football club to try and do it right. And then in amongst it there is a war [Everton ended lucrative sponsorship deals with companies connected to Alisher Usmanov after the oligarch was sanctioned by the UK government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine].” Dyche added that Everton’s second charge is “similar” to the first.

“The thing we are scratching our head about is the first situation and our focus remains on the appeal,” he said. “I remember the early days of PSR when the idea was about protecting clubs and to bring finance into a more controllable situation. I haven’t lost sight of that. But, going back to the pitch, it’s a football sanction not for footballing reasons because we haven’t gained anything from all the things I’ve just told you. There has been no on-pitch gain and yet we’ve got an on-pitch situation.”

Former City financial adviser Stefan Borson said via talkSPORT last month (January 2024): “The scale is on a completely different level [to Everton and Nottingham Forest].

“There can be no question that, if these charges are proven, this will end in at least relegation. There is the suggestion of conspiracy over, effectively, a ten-year period.

“If proven, this is super serious. Nobody would argue with that. City will say, I promise you, that this is an allegation of the most serious nature.

“It seems to me to be highly unlikely that the conduct is alleged has taken place over a ten-year period with the sorts of individuals that are involved in the club and in the companies that are involved.

“It will be a very big call for any court or tribunal to suggest that this number of people have been dishonest, and perjured themselves.

“That would be a massive call for, effectively, some KCs and maybe a former finance director of a football club, to make against not just Manchester City, but against numerous executives, against third party individuals, and against, of course, potentially senior members of foreign states.”

“There’s no question, if those charges are proven, this will end in at least relegation!” 😱

“The scale is on a completely different level!”

Ex #MCFC financial adviser, Stefan Borson, claims City will be relegated if guilty of charges. pic.twitter.com/VoT0fso0y2

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 18, 2024

This is how fans reacted as Sean Dyche questions why have Everton been punished but not Man City…

@rgardom1: Everton admit guilt case quicker. City deny any wrong doing and fight case against them . Pretty simple really!

@John29Curtis: It’s not difficult to understand…….🙄🙄

@MicroscoftPaint: Does he know Pep at all? Way to give the best team in the league even more incentive to batter his shite team. Silly sausage.

@ClaireMulcahy17: It’s pretty clear, everton afs state that they breached ffp it’s quite simple. The PL need to prove city are guilty of lty of anything

@JP__267: Sean Dyche is literally the bloke from down the boozer

@mason_tweet: They have changed the rules since, to allow faster handling and to prevent another club doing what city did. Sucks yes. Conspiracy no. They know this. But the optics do well for them to play this game and keep the fans onside.

@Adam_Smith_82: Two is a smaller number than 115. Admitting you messed up is different to denying everything, fighting everyone & making it a diplomatic incident. Hope all of that helps, Sean.

@Red_Scouser1892: City haven’t admitted to the charges and you only have 2 charges to deal with. Quite obvious

@DermottScully: It’s quite simple really, Everton have held their hands up, admitting liability, City do not agree with the charges which are totally different to Everton’s and contesting them, so it’s over to them to prove City Guilty, not very difficult to understand really 🙄

@alexrawlins22: 1 charge vs 115 charges, one admitted guilt the other didn’t, one is a case of breaking FFP the other is fraud, conspiracy and dishonesty. No shit it takes a lot of time 🤦

@twoht: To be fair, Everton have played a blinder in deflecting blame for this away from Alisher Usmanov and Farhad Moshiri, whose absolute financial recklessness was behind it all in the first place.

@Danthedon1878: He’s completely correct and no doubt they’ll come out with “‘the more charges the longer it takes to deal with”. Complete waffle when it’s been a year and there’s been no progress.

@A_GymGuy: FFS they was never getting a point anyway but this is great management by Dyche to ensure city are pissed off tomorrow 🤦🏽‍♂️

@DaveBrock1979: Sean. Does it take longer to count to 2, or to 115? Jesus Christ

@eddie_corrigan: Because Sean. And I can’t stress this enough lad. 115 charges which the Middle Eastern play thing have pleaded not guilty too. Take a lot longer to deal with than 2

@TheFamousKlopp: Probably because there’s 113 less, and you’ve admitted to doing it.

@JDSuker: Bless him, it’s not 🚀 science 🤣