Nottingham Forest
Reasons Why Liverpool’s ‘FFP’ conclusion is different from Everton’s and Forest’s scenarios
Liverpool fans will no doubt have been interested to learn of the latest ‘FFP’ developments. Everton and Nottingham Forest are set to be informed that the Premier League believes it is non-compliant for the set of accounts ending with 2022/23.
That’s been reported by various outlets including The Athletic. This of course comes after Everton was found to be in breach of the rules for the previous year as well, resulting in a points deduction that has been applied this season, and is currently being appealed.
Punishments for breaches of Profit and Sustainability rules this season are expected to be applied in time for the end of the 2023/24 campaign, raising the prospect of a further points deduction for Everton. This would throw it firmly into the relegation places.
No wonder Liverpool supporters are watching closely, then. But it is far from just a morbid fascination at the potential of seeing the Reds’ neighbors relegated.
For Liverpool, the ruling would perhaps not hold too much significance other than it being applied to its neighbors from across Stanley Park. But there is of course another club under investigation that holds much more impact.
Manchester City is still waiting for a verdict to be passed on it after it was charged with 115 violations over a nine-year period back in February of last year. The club says it has ‘irrefutable evidence’ to demonstrate its innocence.
Many Liverpool fans though will no doubt look at Everton’s case, and indeed the new charges against both Everton and Nottingham Forest that will be heard by the end of the season, and expect a similar outcome for Manchester City. That will not be the case though, and it could be a long time before we see any resolution.
Back in September, it was announced that Premier League clubs should be subject to swifter proceedings if they’re accused of committing financial rule breaches — the process we’re seeing now with Everton and Nottingham Forest. That’s after the league updated its handbook to declare that any club that was charged with breaking Profit and Sustainability Rules (colloquially Financial Fair Play, or FFP) must receive a final verdict within 12 weeks, as reported by The Athletic.
That means an investigation, decision and potential appeal process would take place over a maximum period of three months. The aim behind the FFP changes is to ensure that any sanctions apply to the season in which the breaches have been committed. Interestingly, David Ornstein reports that the Premier League has set May 24 as a ‘backstop’ for appeals from the affected clubs this season, raising the prospect of the campaign ending in turmoil on May 19.
It’s worth stressing though that ‘most exceptional cases’ are exempt from the new timeline. That includes the ongoing process involving Man City, which has been referred to an independent commission with no firm indication yet as to when a decision may be reached.
Everton’s original case had also been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League back in March, before ultimately reaching the verdict of a points deduction. But the nature of Manchester City’s case likely means we won’t be getting a verdict anytime soon — if nothing else, it involves 115 charges rather than one.
Pep Guardiola’s side has won five of the last six Premier League titles, interrupted by Liverpool in 2019/20. It is bidding to become the first team in the competition’s history to land four in a row this term, an increasingly uncomfortable position for the league as the charges continue to loom in the background.
Liverpool.com says: Liverpool fans might well get excited at the prospect of Manchester City receiving a points deduction like Everton, although there is still a lot of water to pass under the bridge before any sort of verdict is passed. The Premier League’s rules can only be a good thing in that there will be swifter clarity in most cases; the thought of the relegation picture being settled five days after the 2023/24 season ends is far from ideal, but at least any punishment for Nottingham Forest or further punishment for Everton would be meted out in the relevant campaign.
But on the other hand, Manchester City’s case is the most significant, in terms of both severity and potential ramifications, and that won’t be covered by the expedited process. There’s still no end in sight to that particular case.
Sky Sports has previously reported that the club could face a points deduction if some or all of the Premier League charges are upheld, but that wouldn’t necessarily suit the Reds. If a penalty was handed down next year, for example, and Liverpool was a long way behind Manchester City in that particular year, then it wouldn’t really feel a sense of justice, even though it missed out on two league titles to Guardiola by a single point in 2018/19 and 2021/22. That potential flaw still hasn’t been addressed, though it is admittedly difficult to see how a quick resolution can be reached in the most complex cases.
