Everton precedent emerges as Man City case could trigger compensation claims

Everton's case against Burnley could play a role if Manchester City are found guilty in the charges brought by the Premier League.

The Premier League's case against the Citizens is one of the most prominent in English football history.

The Etihad outfit have long been accused of breaking numerous Premier League rules, with 115 charges brought against them over a period between 2009 and 2018.

Many Premier League sides are awaiting that outcome, as the possibility of making a compensation claim against the Manchester side could arise.

Everton have already played out a similar scenario, when Burnley took them to court over being relegated in 2022, a season where the Toffees broke PSR rules.

And Everton's own legal battle against the Turf Moor side has provided an insight into what could happen if City are found guilty.

How Everton precedent could limit Man City compensation claims

There will be plenty of Premier League teams with justifiable claims to be made against Manchester City if they are proven guilty.

However, as Burnley's claim against Everton shows, those who look to take up a lawsuit against Man City may not get exactly what they are asking for as shared by financial expert The Esk.

When the Turf Moor side originally put forward their case against the Toffees, they claimed they had missed out on £51.7million in revenue.

However, these claims, as shown by Burnley's against Everton, are rigoursly analysed through a "test loss-of-chance quantum."

Essentially, just because Burnley lost a chance of earning £51.7m, does not mean they would have definitely achieved that financial windfall.

In the end, the Lancashire-based club were handed £26m and not their full compensation claim.

In summary, the Burnley-Everton case shows that tribunals won't simply accept an estimate of how much money a claimant has lost.

So, Burnley's case against Everton could have plenty of relevance for the one involving Man City.

Could Everton have a claim against Manchester City?

This is speculative, but Everton may have reason to seek compensation of their own against Manchester City.

In the 2009-10 season, a campaign that falls within the range of City's charges, Everton narrowly missed out on European qualification.

The Manchester side finished six points above Everton, with the Etihad side qualifying for the Europa League.

That six-point difference is not too far off the four-point difference that Burnley used in their claim against the Toffees in the 2021-22 season.

Everton could argue they lost out on significant funds through missing out on Europe.

However, The Esk does share that "clubs that have since changed ownership must also establish who holds the benefit of any claim under their sale documentation."

While also stating that claims "relating to far older seasons" are much harder to prove.