Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Arsenal - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - December 21, 2019 Everton owner Farhad Moshiri arrives before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Everton plan to ‘robustly defend’ themselves against the recent charges brought forward by the Premier League, according to the latest update from Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Everton charged
The Toffees have become the latest club to be charged for allegedly breaking the Premier League’s financial rules, with Manchester City being referred to an independent commission for a similar issue earlier this year.
The announcement comes about after an audit of all top flight clubs’ financial records for the 2021-22 season, with Burnley and Leeds United writing to the Premier League to question whether any rules had been broken at the back end of last season.
If found guilty, Everton could face punishments ranging from fines, to a significant points deduction, and an independent commission is now set to evaluate all charges before making a final decision.
The Latest: Surprise decision
According to a report from Football Insider, news of the charges came as a ‘surprise’ to senior figures at Goodison Park, who have long maintained they have always been transparent when submitting accounts to the league.
It is claimed that the huge shortfall of £373m in recent years can be explained, despite the fact clubs are only allowed to lose £105m over any three-year period.
Everton are now preparing to ‘robustly defend’ themselves against the charges, but the news of the investigation indicates the club’s latest set of accounts, which are yet to be released, will show little in the way of improvement.
The Verdict: Worrying times
It will be a huge concern for Everton that they face the penalty of a points deduction, given that they are well and truly in the relegation battle heading into the final stretch of the campaign, currently sitting just two points clear of the bottom three.
Sean Dyche has overseen a major improvement in results since his arrival on Merseyside, most recently picking up a point away at Chelsea, having also defeated league leaders Arsenal and high-flying Brentford at Goodison Park.
The last thing the manager needs at this stage is this off-field distraction, and he will no doubt now be looking for assurances from the board that the club are in a strong position to defend themselves against the charges.
In the meantime, Everton must stay focussed on the task of avoiding relegation from the Premier League, facing tough fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United when they return after the international break.
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