Everton: Simon Jordan fires back at FFP pressure with Manchester City point amid reports of imminent takeover
Simon Jordan pointed out that the FFP hearing on Everton shouldn’t be brought forward ahead of Manchester City’s, invoking “due process” as the reason these things take time.
Relegation rivals have failed in their attempts to get the independent commission hearing expedited in order for any potential sanctions to be handed down before next season, leaving the process with potentially months still to run following the single charge on 24 March [i News].
But with a potential Toffees sale on the cards within a matter of weeks Jim White believes it is extra reason to have the spending issue resolved sooner, a suggestion which Jordan dismissed, highlighting the more than 100 charges handed down to Champions League finalists City on 6 February [BBC Sport].
Live on talkSPORT at 11.24am on Thursday morning (18 May) Jim White reacted to the Daily Mail report of an imminent sale from Farhad Moshiri to 777 Partners by asking: “This £600million sale could happen, maybe not in the next week but lets say in the next month, should it not strengthen the case for more of a hurry-up to tie up other extremely pertinent loose ends?
“Like Everton’s financial fair play case, should that not have been concluded before the season closes?”
“What? More than Manchester City’s?” Jordan fired back. “There’s a due process, whether we like it or we don’t. Anybody in the street who says, ‘well just get on with it’. I wish it was that simple, because it isn’t.
“People with significant financial resource, they don’t just sit there and roll over and let you tickle their belly. They push back and defend themselves against the accusation.”
Case to be heard
With Everton maintaining they haven’t breached any regulations they are sure to do just what Jordan describes, and as City also dispute their charges they have proven they will push back too, having done so before with UEFA [BBC Sport].
There is plenty of finger-pointing within the Premier League, and it appears a fair amount is directed at Goodison Park currently.
But just as City are in line to win the treble this year, Everton will be allowed to fight the relegation battle until anything is or isn’t proven.
The sale of the club is just another complicating factor in the ongoing spotlight on spending at the club, with the new stadium development crucial to both.
It therefore raises the prospect of a proven charge landing any new regime with a punishment picked up under the old one, a possibility which would surely have to be negotiated in any agreement between Farhad Moshiri and 777 Partners, or indeed MSP Sports Capital.
Everton have the major challenge of avoiding relegation to navigate first, while the investment discussions seem to be reaching a head, but the fall-out from the league charge looks like it will rumble on a lot further down the line.