After Everton's 10-point deduction in the English Premier League, Chelsea and Manchester City could face relegation from England's top flight based on their charges regarding Financial Fair Play regulations. The Premier League confirmed on Friday that the Merseyside-based club will be docked points for alleged breaches after a five-day hearing from last month.
Also Read: Everton get 10-point deduction in Premier League for breaching FFP rules
With this decision, the Toffees have fallen to the 19th spot in the EPL table with just four points next to their name. The Premier League took the help of an independent commission in March for Everton's alleged breaches relating to the 2021/22 campaign.
Reacting to this decision, Stefan Borson, a lawyer who has advised Manchester City during their FFP charges, posted that the Premier League champions and Chelsea could face even more drastic sanctions if they are found guilty. Borson posted, "Without seeing the judgement/award -10 points for Everton feels harsh for a straightforward FFP breach to me. But reinforces that sanctions against City (if proven) and now Chelsea (if charged and admitted on the off-books payments) will be potentially relegation-inducing."
"One thing is for sure, given the scale of this sporting sanction, Chelsea's calculus (in my opinion) that they could breach PL P&S [profit and sustainability rules] and just take a fine as a cost of doing business, must be in urgent and immediate reconsideration. The January window may be interesting."
Also Read: Over 30 left injured amidst riots after feisty Bulgaria-Hungary Euro 2024 Qualifier
"Even in the best case, they can no longer rely on being able to convince an independent commission to accept their Covid and sanctions allowances as exceptional adjustments (to the extent that was the plan)."
In February, City was slammed by 115 charges of allegedly breaching the FFP regulations earlier. Similarly, Chelsea is facing a lot of scrutiny for alleged payments connected to former owner Roman Abramovich.