Everton were docked 10 points for breaching the rules and could be punished again, but City's case has not been heard a year after they were charged
Everton fans are not known for keeping their opinions to themselves and they have certainly not been in the mood for going quietly when it comes to the way they have been punished for breaking the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The Toffees have been playing with the handicap of a 10-point deduction since November for flouting the rules for the 2021-22 season, and their fans staged a fiery protest before their next game against Manchester United at Goodison Park, with banners visible all across the stadium and thousands of fans brandishing placards with the Premier League's logo and the word 'Corrupt'.
A day previously they had flown a plane over the Etihad Stadium carrying a banner reading 'Premier League = Corrupt' before Manchester City's game with Liverpool. The message was clear: what about City?
And as Sean Dyche's side – who would be 12th were it not for the points deduction and are instead back in the relegation zone – head to Manchester to face a resurgent City on Saturday, it is a question many will be repeating. And especially as last month Everton were charged once again with breaking the financial rules and could be in line for another points deduction which could prove fatal in their bid to avoid the drop.
More than a year has passed since City were hit with 115 charges from the Premier League for allegedly breaking its financial rules, but there has been almost no movement on the case.
GOAL explains the difference between Everton and City's charges and why there has been such a long gap between the outcomes of both cases…
GettyWhat are Everton accused of?
Everton were first charged with breaching the league's profit and sustainability regulations in March 2023, relating to their spending for a three-year period up to the 2021-22 campaign, and the case was referred to an independent commission.
A five-day hearing was held in October when the club were found to have lost £124.5 million ($156m), exceeding the maximum £105m ($132m) permitted by the league. One month later Everton were hit with a 10-point deduction, the biggest punishment in the league's history, which the club described as 'wholly disproportionate and unjust'.
Last month Everton and Nottingham Forest were both charged with breaching the same financial rules for the period ending in 2022-23.
AdvertisementGetty What are City accused of?
On February 6 2023, City were handed 115 charges for breaching Premier League rules between 2009 and 2018, the period directly following their takeover led by Sheikh Mansour of the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.
According to the league, City allegedly failed to provide accurate financial information to the Premier League, misleading regulators about its revenue including its sponsorship income and operating costs.
City were also charged of breaching the rules on profitability and sustainability from 2015-18 – the same rules Everton were found to have flouted.
GettyWhy are the cases different?
Everton disputed the amount of money they had lost in the first period (for which they were docked 10 points), which they claimed was only £7.9m ($10m) and said it was down to mitigating factors including funding their new stadium and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, crucially, they accepted they had exceeded the spending limits, which all Premier League clubs had signed up to. The case against them, therefore, was cut and dry.
While Everton fans and directors could argue the scale of the punishment was unfair, no one could dispute that they had not followed the rules.
City, however, deny any wrongdoing. They said in a statement at the time they were 'surprised' by the charges and claimed they had provided the league with a 'vast amount of detailed materials' in relation to the investigation.
"The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position," City added in their statement. "As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."
While the league has clear evidence in Everton's accounts that they broke the rules, they are effectively accusing City of lying about the information they provided, which is far harder to prove.
Getty ImagesWhy has City's case taken so long to be resolved?
The key difference is the the scale of the charges City are facing compared to Everton. The fact that the club are fighting against 115 charges compared to the one charge (now two) that Everton were contesting means that that there is far more evidence to consider. As a consequence, it will take months, if not years, to gather witness statements.
And unlike with Everton and Forest's cases, there is no deadline for the outcome of City's investigation. The Premier League changed its rules last summer to oblige financial breaches to be punished within 12 months. However, the new rules do not apply to City's case as they were charged before they came into effect.
