Manchester City could face ‘expulsion’ from the Premier League according to the 52-page report detailing why Nottingham Forest have been deducted four points for breaching FFP rules.
The Forest sanction, confirmed by the Premier League on Monday, has pushed Nuno Espirito Santo’s side from 17th to 18th, suddenly a point adrift of safety
Forest were allowed permissible losses of £61million ($77.6m) as a promoted club in 2022-23 but were found to have exceeded that threshold for a three-year period by the precise sum of £34,536,000.
Everton were also punished for a breach of profit and sustainability rules (PSR) in November, with their initial 10-point penalty reduced to six on appeal.
The sanctions have led to inevitable questions as to what the punishments for Manchester City, and indeed Chelsea, will be, with both clubs alleged to have broken the rules far more significantly.
Man City are vehemently contesting the 115 charges brought by the Premier League in February 2023, with an independent commission set to hear the case in the autumn, while Chelsea are waiting to be charged after the club flagged financial misconduct relating to payments made to agents off the club books in Roman Abramovich’s era.
The Blues’ latest financial accounts show £150m has been set aside by Todd Boehly and Clearlake to cover potential legal costs.
If found guilty, the two giants will likely face penalties far beyond those doled out thus far, and the 52-page report detailing Forest’s wrongdoing suggests they could be expelled from the Premier League.
Robert Glancy KC, sports law specialist Mark Hovell and accountancy expert Steve Holt pointed to the unlimited sanctions available in any case, “ranging from a warning through to expulsion from the Premier League”.
The Commission added: “Where a PSR breach is ‘minor’, then it will be for other Commissions to determine if any points deduction is necessary, appropriate or proportionate.
“But if the breach is properly described as ‘major’ then it may be the case that even a very severe sanction such as expulsion is more appropriate.”