Kieran Maguire has ridiculed the Premier League after it was revealed that the organisation will cover a significant portion of the legal costs incurred by Everton for breaching Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules last season.
Everton had been charged £4.9 million for the legal proceedings, but the club will only be responsible for £1.7 million of that total, with the Premier League stepping in to pay the remaining £3.2 million, according to The Times.
Maguire, a football finance expert, took to his X account (formerly Twitter) on 5 September to mock the situation, highlighting what he sees as a string of blunders by the league concerning PSR.
He wrote: “After the Leicester debacle, throwing in the white flag to Chelsea about the property sale & being made to reduce its commission legal bill to Everton by £3.2m, the Premier League has decided to follow UEFA and have its own theme tune played before matches.
“It has gone for the Benny Hill theme tune.”
Everton’s legal victory has raised eyebrows across football, as the Premier League’s decision to foot most of the bill suggests a leniency that could embolden other clubs facing similar charges.
Last season, Everton were hit with a points deduction for their financial breaches, but Leicester City managed to avoid the same fate this season, arguing they were already relegated before the rule breach occurred. This has led many to question the consistency of the league’s enforcement.
It’s ironic that Everton, had they been relegated following the 2022/23 season, might have been in a better financial position today. Abdoulaye Doucoure’s crucial goal, which kept them in the Premier League, may have ultimately cost them more in fines and penalties.
The current set of rules, particularly concerning PSR, has now come under increasing scrutiny. With prominent voices like Maguire openly mocking the Premier League’s handling of recent cases, it’s clear that reforms are urgently needed if the system is to maintain credibility.