'It's ruining football' - Everton insider fumes at 'ridiculous' Chelsea punishment
That is according to former senior Everton scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Blues have self-reported for more than 70 FA charges relating to agent regulations between 2018 and 2022, with the new ownership choosing to report their findings after taking over from Abramovich in 2022.
Chelsea were fined £10m by the FA and handed a suspended two-window transfer ban, escaping an initial six-point deduction on appeal.
The decision has further fuelled the feeling of injustice in the cases of the likes of Everton and Nottingham Forest, who were both handed point deductions for their own breaches of the financial rules.
The Toffees were deducted eight points in total over the 2023-24 season, but ultimately survived the threat of relegation comfortably.
Chelsea case is example of 'ridiculous' rules
Chelsea have evidently been granted some lenience due to the fact that they found and reported their own breaches.
But for the likes of Everton, that will not cool the feeling of injustice that flows after their own harsher punishment.
It is a feeling that has grown significantly in recent years amid the ongoing wait for a decision in the case of Manchester City's 115 alleged financial breaches.
"This fair play situation, which has been created by the Premier League or the football league, which, as far as I'm concerned, is ridiculous, because it seems open to punish some clubs but not others, who have done, if not more, mistakes," King told Football Insider.
"I mean, losing money and bringing in players overpriced and all this. I can't see it. Either you're going to have rules or you ain't. If I was Everton, you can't do anything about it now, but if they'd have got relegated, then I'd think there'd have been a big outcry.
"If that had been the point where Everton had lost those points and it had caused them to go down, then I think this situation and case would have been far, far greater. But again, I just can't see the point of these rules and regulations if they're not carried out.
"If you rob a bank and get three years imprisonment or six years imprisonment, people try, obviously, to get their sentences reduced, and some of them do. But if there's guns involved or violent GBH or that carry on, you can forget it.
"And this was a breach of a rule in football by both clubs. But one gets hit and really, it really puts the pressure on."
Financial rules are 'ruining football'
Inevitably, it feels as if the pending decision over Man City's case will have an unsatisfactory outcome.
The charges, which were announced by the Premier League over three years ago, will provide a point of reference for any other club affected.
"I just think either you're going to have rules or you aren't, because this is another way of ruining football," King continued.
"There are going to be certain clubs in the Premier League or clubs that could be going up from the Championship who are never going to be in a position like Manchester City or Chelsea to be able to throw that kind of money about."