Former Everton captain Seamus Coleman has said that Manchester City's ongoing financial charges case is "killing" the Premier League, which he described as the best league on the planet.
Coleman, who made 435 appearances for Everton, including a club-record 374 in the Premier League, was speaking on the Overlap Fan Debate about his reaction to the points deductions imposed on his former club.
Everton's points deductions
In November 2023, Everton received a 10-point deduction for a single breach of the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) - at the time the most severe sporting punishment in the 135-year history of English top-flight football. That figure was reduced to six points on appeal, before a further two-point deduction was imposed within the same process, bringing the total to eight.
The 38-year-old Irishman said the punishment came as a shock to the players. "It had nothing to do with us lads that are on the pitch, and you're so proud to play for Everton Football Club. You know how much it means to all the fans, and maybe because of decisions that have been made higher up, maybe without a thought, I don't know, before you know it, you've got a 10-point deduction."
He added that the team was not in a strong position at the time, and the deduction nearly guaranteed relegation given their form. "Thankfully, we'd started that season quite well, so the 10-point deduction, I think, took us from, I don't know, 15th to second from bottom but I just felt that it happened so quickly."
Coleman noted that the appeal reduced the penalty to six points, which he felt showed the original punishment was not right. He also described the second deduction, which came in April, as frustrating, saying decisions made by those in charge can affect players and fans who have supported the club their whole lives.
Manchester City's 114 charges
Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. An independent commission determined that the club orchestrated "sham contracts" and relied on "sham agreements to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs," as part of a plan to conceal secret funding exceeding £830million.
Reflecting on the impact of the case, Coleman said the situation had affected Champions League positions for other clubs, though he acknowledged it was hard to say definitively. He said the biggest issue was the uncertainty surrounding the league.
"I think the biggest issue with it for me is, this is supposed to be the best league in the world, and whether City are guilty or not, it's just killing the league, it's killing the season, it's killing every team, because you're just waiting to see what'll happen."
He contrasted the speed with which Everton and Nottingham Forest were dealt with against the prolonged nature of City's case, saying: "I know we're talking about lawyers coming in and getting involved, but how Everton and Nottingham Forest could be dealt with so quickly, so efficiently – I know we said, yeah, hands up, we got it wrong – but surely, it shouldn't get to this point for the best league in the world."
Coleman said that while Everton were affected in terms of Champions League qualification, he would not be pursuing lost bonuses, concluding: "Obviously, yeah, we were affected Champions League-wise and that, but I'm not going to be knocking on anyone's door chasing lost bonuses or that."
