Premier League must act with same force against big guns
Consistency is key when addressing rule breaches – otherwise the perception will remain that Everton were simply not strong enough to argue their way out
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Narrated by Henry Winter
There has to be some sympathy for Everton over the severity of the record ten-point deduction that leaves them 19th in the Premier League. Everton overspent by £20 million while also overseeing the construction of a stadium deemed special enough to host Euro 2028 games. Portsmouth, albeit under slightly different rules, received a nine-point punishment in 2010 for being a total basket case, chased by the taxman and entering administration, putting the whole club and other businesses at risk. Everton deserve to be punished, but where’s the consistency?
The Premier League is patently correct in investigating and sanctioning those who resort to financial chicanery and overvaluation to try to meet profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). It’s cheating. All clubs had Covid losses to make up.
