‘We’ve been hearing’: Sky Sports journalist shares how people at Everton feel about today’s PSR case

Everton Football Club is currently undergoing another crucial three-day hearing regarding an alleged breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules. This follows a previous case that resulted in a six-point deduction for the club, covering the seasons from 2019 to 2022. The latest hearing advances the timeline by a year, examining the club’s financial activities within a new three-year rolling period. Despite efforts towards financial sustainability under Kevin Thelwell, the club faces potential penalties for past financial mismanagement.

Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol shared insights into the club’s stance on the current PSR case. He highlighted the club’s dissatisfaction with the PSR calculation, stating, “What we’ve been hearing from those close to the club is that when it came to that PSR figure Everton submitted, they’re pretty unhappy with that figure. They’re in disagreement with the Premier League over the parameters when it comes to the PSR calculation.”

Solhekol further elaborated on the specific areas of contention, including, “For example, payments on the [new] stadium not being written off against PSR and mitigating factors not being taken into account, such as the war in Ukraine and how it cost them a £200m naming-rights deal for the new stadium, along with other commercial deals associated with USM [the sanctioned company owned by Alisher Usmanov].”

The club also expressed concerns about the timing of the charge, “They’re also unhappy this charge was brought before the conclusion of the appeal process for that initial 10-point deduction,” and raised the issue of being potentially penalized twice for the same period, “There is also the argument regarding double jeopardy and Everton being punished twice for breaches in the same timeframe.”

As Everton navigates this challenging period, the outcome of the hearing could significantly impact the club’s future, especially in light of Nottingham Forest’s recent PSR breach penalty, which was reduced due to “good behaviour.” Everton aims to mitigate any potential punishment to ensure it remains manageable for manager Sean Dyche and the team, currently positioned just four points above the relegation zone.