Everton have been handed an immediate 10-point penalty in the Premier League after being deemed guilty of breaching the division’s profit and sustainability rules.
The Toffees have released a statement confirming the deduction, stating the club’s shock and disappointment at an ‘unjust sporting sanction’.
Everton have been under investigation for breaches of the Premier League’s financial restrictions, with an independent commission ruling the club had violated rules. The 10-point deduction means Sean Dyche’s side drop down to 19th in the Premier League table, level on points with bottom club Burnley.
‘Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s Commission,’ a club statement read.
‘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 Club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
‘Everton cannot comment on this matter any further until the appeal process has concluded.’
