Exclusive: Leicester City points deduction update
The Premier League is unlikely to be successful with its appeal against the ruling in Leicester City’s profit and sustainability (PSR) case, sources have told Football Insider.
Leicester were charged in March with a breach of the Premier League’s PSR rules for 2022-23 after reporting losses of £89.7million for that year alone, with top-flight sides only permitted to lose £105million over a rolling three-year period.
But they argued they were no longer a Premier League club when they submitted their accounts on 30 June last year following their relegation to the Championship.
An independent commission dismissed those claims in July and ruled the Premier League could charge them.
But Leicester confirmed in a statement on 3 September their appeal against that ruling had been successful, handing them a significant boost in their bid to avoid a points deduction.
In its ruling, the independent panel said the PSR rules “are, in relevant parts, far from well drafted”, while the Premier League admitted it was “surprised and disappointed” by the decision.
Football Insider revealed on 18 October the governing body appears to have appealed against the latest decision, potentially dragging the case on for several more months.
Leicester unlikely to face punishment without 'major mistake'
Under the arbitration rules in the Premier League handbook, there are few ways in which an appeal board’s decision can be challenged.
Those include the panel reaching out of the jurisdiction of the body that made the decision, the verdict being reached as a result of fraud or bad faith, procedural errors, a perverse interpretation of the law or the ruling could not reasonably have been reached by any panel that had applied its mind properly to the facts of the case.
Sources have told Football Insider the Premier League is unlikely to be successful with an appeal against the verdict unless the panel made a “major mistake”.
But that isn’t expected to be the case after two of the three panel members were former Court of Appeal judges.
If the ruling were to be overturned, however, Leicester would likely land a points deduction after Everton and Nottingham Forest were both docked points last season following their PSR breaches.
That would mark a significant blow to Steve Cooper’s side’s survival hopes as they currently sit 15th in the Premier League table, three points above the relegation zone.
In other news, Leicester transfer update emerges ahead of January window.
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