Everton’s 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules has shocked the football world and caused huge protests from Toffees fans while the club prepares an appeal. Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League clubs, as well as clubs outside the English shores, will be watching developments closely; some of the relegated clubs could even sue for damages.
Nevertheless, the most talked-about issue – not least because Everton should avoid relegation this season even if it fails to overturn or reduce the 10 points penalty – is what will happen to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s team is accused of 115 times more charges than Everton, so the process takes much longer.
Manchester City insists it is completely innocent, but either it or the Premier League will fall out badly. Either Manchester City will be proved to have made a mistake, or the competence of the league, which has made so many allegations against one of its clubs, will be called into question if it is then unable to confirm them.
In any case, we now have a date when we could finally come to a result. According to the Daily Mail, City and the Premier League have tentatively agreed to refer the matter to an independent commission in late autumn next year, with a verdict expected in the summer of 2025.
At the moment, the most likely penalty is a points deduction for Manchester City rather than retrospective revocation of titles, although given the scale of the allegations nothing is ruled out. However, with 115 charges against Everton’s one charge, a very important precedent has been set.
If Manchester City are found to have made a mistake, whatever the punishment, it will not be enough. The headlines, even in the case of a withdrawal, are already celebrated. Liverpool, for example, has already mourned the way in which it was beaten in the title fight in 2014, the period under investigation against Manchester City. It used the loss of a point in 2019 as motivation to do even better 12 months later. In any case, history cannot be rewritten.
The fact is that even if this league triumph had fallen to Liverpool, the Reds would hardly feel like winners. Technically, Steven Gerrard would have won the league, but in reality they would not have felt any different.
In the event of a points deduction, the precedent that has now been set should be huge. If you get 10 points for one offence, Manchester City could be docked many times that. However, even that could not make up for the fouls of the past.
For the potential offender, titles could be tarnished, ironically they would get an asterisk, which would be meaningful, unlike the one so many were so keen to add to Liverpool’s win in 2020. But for the Reds, Arsenal, Manchester United and others who missed out on league or Champions League places, it would be too little, too late.
Whatever the final outcome of the Manchester City case – and the case involving Chelsea – the only thing that needs to happen in the future is that it does not happen again. The finances and this side of the game must be examined on an ongoing basis, not years from now – otherwise there is simply no punishment that is 100% appropriate and fair.