Former Everton player hits out at Daily Mail journalist over reported threat of £300m legal action
Michael Ball has hit out at Daily Mail journalist Matt Hughes over his reporting that Everton face being sued by relegation rivals if found guilty of their FFP charge.
Hughes reported on Tuesday night (16 May) that Leeds and Burnley had reprised their position from last year in threatening legal action against the Toffees, and this time had been joined by Southampton, Leicester and Nottingham Forest.
Ex-Everton defender Ball didn’t take kindly to the story and accused the reporter of having an “obsession” with the club.
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday morning (17 May) he wrote: “Are you ok Matt Hughes? This obsession and relentless columns on Everton must be very draining and time consuming.”
Hughes had similarly reported the threat from Leeds and Burnley a year ago, which fell away after assurances from the Premier League, which has separately been reported by the likes of Martyn Ziegler in The Times.
Backlash
Nobody inside or out of Everton will enjoy hearing the likelihood of other clubs queuing up to take them for hundreds of millions, but after two seasons of fighting relegation and financial concerns there hasn’t been a huge amount of comparatively positive news around.
While Ziegler reported on Wednesday morning that clubs had “distanced themselves” from the report of legal documents being lodged, he and others have independently reported the position of Leeds and Burnley a year ago.
It isn’t a huge leap from there to imagine a repeat this season, after the league charged the Toffees on 24 March.
Hughes may have sources at those clubs and behind the scenes their intentions may be as he has reported, but the proof will only be in subsequent events, or at least through wider reporting from other outlets.
Fans might rightly wonder why there is such a heavy focus on Everton’s single alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules since the March development when Manchester City were charged with over 100 a month before [Sky Sports, 15 February].
If clubs are gearing up to demand £100million in compensation each out of Goodison, on the proviso that the Toffees are found guilty – they insist they won’t be – then the numbers that City’s rivals might eye in similar circumstances would presumably be eye-watering.
While the club’s own accounts lay bare the £300million-plus losses over each of the past two rolling three-year windows – far in excess of the £105million limit in theory but they argue heavily affected by Covid-19 – the financial benefit to the squad has been negligible if not negative this season and last.
Free transfers, loans and bargains under Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard last season, a summer window funded by the sale of star man Richarlison, and a barren January this year that saw Everton become the only club in the league not to sign anybody, while Anthony Gordon was sold, make complaints from relegation rivals that they’ve benefited on the pitch from allegedly breaking the rules seem illogical.
But the ultimate outcome will only become clear following the final games of the season, and the outcome of the independent FFP hearing.