Kieran Maguire: Everton case has ‘damaged Premier League integrity’ – 12-point deduction now expected
The integrity of the Premier League has been damaged because of the timing of Everton and Nottingham Forest’s hearings.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who exclusively told Football Insider that it is not ‘fair’ to Everton or their rivals that they aren’t aware of how many points are needed to survive relegation.
The Toffees were handed a 10-point deduction in November for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules, but their punishment was reduced to six points this week after a successful appeal.
However, Everton now face a second hearing for a similar charge related to their 2022-23 accounts alongside Nottingham Forest.
The Premier League intends to complete all hearings before the end of the season, meaning any points deductions could plunge Everton or Forest into the relegation zone.
As revealed by Football Insider, Everton are expecting a 12-point deduction in total with a six-point punishment for their second charge.
Premier League ‘integrity’ on the line as Everton await second charge
Maguire insists it is ‘not fair’ for clubs to be ‘in the dark’ over how many points or what results are needed to avoid relegation.
“You would have hoped for a greater degree of urgency from the Commission given that the appeal itself only took three days,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“By all accounts, the focus was on the original process rather than the evidence that was presented by both parties.
“It’s not fair on Everton because they’re going into matches not knowing what results they need to survive.
“It’s also not fair on other clubs around the relegation area as they also are in the dark over whether they are above or below Everton.
“So the longer it takes as we go through the season, the more it decreases the integrity of the competition.
“I think that’s a very sad thing – it’s not what we fall in love with football for.“
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