Everton date set for FFP hearing amid legal action from Leeds United and Leicester City
A hearing date of 25 October has been set for the Financial Fair Play ruling on Everton after legal action was taken by Leeds United and Leicester City, according to The Guardian.
The Toffees were referred to an independent commission over an alleged breach of financial fair play rules, according to The Athletic [24 March] after a ten-month investigation which began when Burnley and Leeds wrote to the Premier League in May 2022. [The Guardian, 24 March]
Under Premier League rules, clubs are only allowed to lose a maximum of £105m over three years, but the Toffees recorded losses of £371.8m during this period, which brought much scrutiny from English top-flight clubs.
And according to The Guardian [14 June] Everton face legal action from relegated clubs Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and Premier League newcomers Burnley that could run into tens of millions of pounds if they lose their case for an alleged breach of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules, which will be heard on 25 October.
Anxious wait
After months of silence, Everton had finally been brought into the firing line for their financial records and continued incompetence involving the club board and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.
And Everton fans will be hoping the club’s departing directors can take some responsibility and not use their unemployment as a tool to hide away should the worst happen after October’s hearing.
Such news in March was simply yet another disastrous development for a club which has been plagued with a whole raft of scrutiny and criticism over the past few years.
Everton now face an anxious wait until that October date and the club could well face damaging sanctions, despite feeling that they are moving into new territory following the impending MSP Sports Capital takeover.
The legal case could well leave the Toffees scrapping for plenty of cash, hence the willingness to sell most of their key stars, but those issues won’t be the last of their problems should they be ruled against on 25 October.
Just when will the merry-go circus at Goodison Park come to an end? It’s always one controversy after another with this football club.