Everton have had their 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules reduced to six points, following an appeal.
The Toffees were deducted 10 points in November after being found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, but lodged an appeal with the chair of the Premier League’s Judicial Panel.
Everton had called the punishment ‘unjust’ and said the club were ‘shocked and disappointed’ by the initial punishment, which was the largest points deduction ever placed on a Premier League side.
‘Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s Commission,’ a club statement read on November 17.
‘The Club believes that the Commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction. The Club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence and the Club’s case will be heard by an Appeal Board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course.
‘Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process. The Club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings. Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the Commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted’.
The Athletic have now confirmed that Everton have had their punishment reduced to six points, a verdict that will see Sean Dyche’s side rise up to 16th in the Premier League table and, crucially, five points above the relegation places.
