It is less than one full month into the 2024/25 Premier League season and the off-field financial battles have already started. Three rounds of matches into the new campaign and financial fair play has reared its ugly head once more.
For Leicester City, it’s good news. Steve Cooper’s side could hardly afford to be docked points having only picked up the one in a tough opening set of games before the first international break.
Having been charged with alleged financial breaches last term, despite being in the Championship at the time, Leicester were one of several sides with an FFP fight on their hands over the summer. That is set to yet again be a common thread throughout this year after 12 months of debate and controversy around the rules.
After Everton became the first team to be deducted points for infringements of the now much-maligned Profitability and Sustainability rules (PSRs), charges against Nottingham Forest and even Sheffield United followed. EFL-side at the time, Leicester, were caught up in it too.
The regulations, which only allow for £105million of combined losses across a rolling three-year period, are more straightforward and clearcut than those which Manchester City are alleged to have broken over a decade. However, a precedent for PSR tussles has now been set.
For Arsenal, this is something they will be watching closely. The Gunners have been one of City’s biggest challengers in recent years and would stand to benefit from any possible sporting sanction they might receive if found guilty of any of their own, separate, 115 financial charges.
As well as points deductions, the league has the scope to heavily fine as well as strip titles and even relegate teams. There is uncertainty for City, who are not accused of breaking PSRs, but instead of irregularities and accounting coverups to improve their financial position.
This is extremely different to the war against the league that Leicester had to take, and the outcome statement expresses that. “Leicester City has won its appeal against a decision that an independent Commission had jurisdiction to consider an alleged breach by the Club of Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs)” read an announcement on Tuesday, September 3.
“The Premier League first referred the Club to an independent Commission in March 2024 for an alleged PSR breach relating to the assessment period ending 30 June 2023. The Commission dismissed the Club’s initial challenge to its jurisdiction to hear the case, but the Club’s challenge has now been upheld by an independent Appeal Board, which reversed the Commission’s finding.
“Leicester City welcomes the Appeal Board’s comprehensive decision, which supports our consistently stated position that any action against the Club should be pursued in accordance with the applicable rules.
“To avoid any misunderstandings which may arise in light of the statement which has been issued by the Premier League in response to the appeal decision, Leicester City wishes to emphasise the finding of the Appeal Panel that, when considering the wording which is actually used in the Premier League rules (in accordance with established principles of English law) the Club did not breach the Premier League PSRs for the assessment period ending 30 June 2023.
“In its decision, the Appeal Board (which was made of up a panel of three experienced, senior lawyers, two of whom are former Court of Appeal judges) identifies flaws in the drafting of the Premier League’s rules. In challenging the Premier League’s attempts to charge Leicester City, the Club has simply sought to ensure (in the interests of providing consistency and certainty for all clubs) that the rules are applied based on how they are actually written.”
