The verdict on Manchester City's 115 charges remains outstanding, but a recent ruling involving Everton has raised eyebrows across the Premier League. If you are not a fan of either club, the news that Everton must pay Burnley close to £40 million for breaching financial rules likely prompted one reaction: what will happen if Manchester City are found guilty?
Everton's Punishment: A Precedent?
These commissions do not seem to delay matters when dealing with Everton. Since charges were laid against City, Everton have faced a 10-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), reduced to six on appeal, and another two-point deduction in April 2024. Now, a compensation case brought by Burnley has resulted in a hefty fine. Everton will appeal, and that process may conclude before a verdict on City's charges is reached.
The delay in City's verdict has gone from regrettable to preposterous. While City continue business as usual—bidding £105 million for Elliot Anderson—Everton deal with costly ramifications. Something is wrong.
Why the Delay?
Perhaps the potential severity of the City hearing's outcome, which concluded a year and a half ago after charges were brought in February 2023, makes delays inevitable. Burnley's compensation claim stemmed from Everton's points deduction for an offence in the accounting period ending June 2022. Burnley, relegated in 2021-22, argued that if the deduction (reduced to six points) had been applied that season, they would have stayed up. Everton finished 16th, four points ahead of 18th-placed Burnley.
The commission ordered Everton to pay £25 million plus interest, bringing the total close to £40 million. If upheld, this decision is game-changing.
City's Potential Fallout
City's financial charges cover 2009 to 2018, a period during which they won seven major trophies, including three Premier League titles. They won the 2011-12 title on goal difference, edged Liverpool by two points in 2013-14, and had a 19-point gap in 2017-18. If found guilty and punished, the Burnley claim will look small when City's rivals mobilise their lawyers.
Everton's appeal grounds focus on timings and accountancy details, but the principle is fundamental: if a sporting sanction is imposed for financial offences, rival clubs can claim compensation if their objectives were compromised. The ramifications are huge, and we will find out just how huge when the Manchester City verdict arrives.
