Everton and Nottingham Forest players may take legal action against clubs – ex-Premier League chief
Everton and Nottingham Forest players could take legal action against their clubs if they are relegated from the Premier League, according to Neil Moxley.
The Sunday People journalist says he spoke to an unnamed former Premier League sporting director earlier this week, who mooted the idea of players suing their clubs for a loss of earnings.
Moxley explains that if Everton and Forest are relegated to the Championship due to the point deductions dished out caused by poor ownership, players could turn around and sue them for their wages being slashed.
Writing in the print edition of the Sunday People (page 52, 31 March), Moxley said: “I was chatting to a former sporting director of a Premier League club this week and he came up with an interesting one.
“Nottingham Forest and Everton have been deducted points due to the crass overspend and negligence of the club’s owners to keep their finances houses in order.
“We’re not talking about the legitimacy of the punishments here, by the way, just the fact that they’ve been handed out.
“My pal thinks that there will be was group of very unhappy players in those dressing rooms who might take legal action against their own clubs.
“Think about it. Let’s say the average wage at a Premier League club is around £3million as year. It’s probably higher, believe it or not, but let’s use that figure.
“Each player will have a clause in his contract that will see his wages slashed by half if the club is relegated.
“That’s a £1.5m cut – that they will have to take on the chin.
“Or will they?”
Moxley rounded off his column by saying: “Watch this space.”
Will players sue Everton and Nottingham Forest?
From our point of view, this seems pretty ridiculous.
Clubs have been docked points and relegated in the past and we don’t remember hearing anything about players suing clubs for a loss of earnings.
It’s ultimately a risk of the job.
And, sorry, but boo-hoo if your £3million-a-year salary has dropped to £1.5million-a-year.
If the players really care about that and are willing to kick a great club while it’s down, then they’re probably proving they are one of the reasons why they’ve been relegated.
Yes, Everton have overspent on players in the Farhad Moshiri era. But as much as the blame is on Moshiri, the blame is also on those players for failing to meet expectations and failing to reproduce the form that led to so much money being spent on them anyway.
If there is a legal case against Everton and Nottingham Forest from their players if they go down, it sets a very dangerous precedent.
Let’s hope it doesn’t get to this point because to be quite frank, it’s ridiculous that it’s even something that’s been mentioned.
In other Everton news, the Toffees have already made contact to sign two players in the summer transfer window.
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