Leicester City have already made a crucial appointment who could help them avoid a points deduction after being charged by the Premier League for a breach of their Profit and Sustainability (P&S) rules.
Sports lawyer Nick De Marco was hired by the club earlier this year when they were ordered by the EFL to submit a business plan as they were forecasted to break Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. City contested this, and the Club Financial Reporting Panel (CFRP) ruled in their favor.
It appears De Marco will be needed once again though after the Premier League announced on Thursday evening that Leicester had been charged for breaching P&S rules and failing to submit their audited financial accounts for the 2022/23 season to the division.
Leicester have since responded, stressing they were ‘surprised’ and ‘extremely disappointed’ to learn of the action being taken against them.
Everton and Nottingham Forest hired prominent lawyer De Marco for their recent battles with the Premier League over their FFP rules. The Merseyside club were handed an initial ten-point deduction after being found guilty of breaching the league’s regulations, but this was reduced to six on appeal.
Meanwhile, rivals Forest were handed a four-point deduction by the Premier League this week following their hearing at the beginning of March. Speaking on the Sports Law Podcast recently, De Marco said that the current FFP rules in the Premier League were in place to keep the ‘status quo’.
“Financial Fair Play rules in football are not justified on the basis of competitive balance, and there’s a very strong argument that they are antithetical too because what they do is they allow you to spend more if you earn more, so they protect the status quo,” he explained.
At this stage, it is unclear when the hearing will be heard, with an independent commission being set up to determine the exact details.
Given De Marco’s track record and expertise in handling such matters, Leicester will hope to navigate through this challenging situation and avoid any potential points deductions that could hamper their progress in the Premier League.