Leicester City win appeal over alleged breach of Premier League PSR rules | Leicester City
Leicester have won their appeal against a decision that could have led to a points deduction for an alleged foul. Premier League rules of profit and sustainability.
The Premier League said it was “surprised and disappointed” by the decision to uphold the Foxes’ appeal. An independent appeal board determined that Leicester’s accounting period, after it was claimed the club exceeded the permitted £105m threshold, ended on June 30, 2023, after the club was relegated from the top flight.
The league added that the appeals board's decision “effectively means that, despite the club being a member of the (Premier) League from the 2019/20 to 2022/23 seasons, the League is unable to take action against the club for exceeding the relevant PSR threshold in respect of the associated accounting periods.”
Leicester welcomed the decision, adding that the verdict “supports our consistent position that any action against the club must be carried out in accordance with the applicable rules.”
In a statement on its official website, the club said: “Leicester City welcomes the comprehensive decision of the appeal board, which supports our consistent position that any action against the club must be conducted in accordance with the applicable rules.
“In order to avoid any misunderstanding that may arise in light of the statement issued by the Premier League in response to the appeal decision, Leicester City wishes to emphasise the appeal panel’s conclusion that, having regard to the wording actually used in the Premier League rules (in accordance with established principles of English law), the club was not in breach of the Premier League PSRs for the assessment period ending 30 June 2023.
“In its decision, the appeal board (which was made up of a panel of three senior and experienced lawyers, two of whom are former Court of Appeal judges) identified flaws in the wording of the Premier League’s rules. In challenging the Premier League’s attempts to bring charges against Leicester City, the club has simply sought to ensure (in the interests of providing consistency and certainty for all clubs) that the rules are applied as they are actually written.”
The Premier League responded with its own statement, expressing its disappointment.
“The Premier League is surprised and disappointed by the decision of the independent appeal board to accept an appeal brought by Leicester City FC regarding the League’s jurisdiction over the club’s alleged breach of its Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) when the club was a member of the Premier League.
“The Premier League is very disappointed with the appeal board’s decision and the limited reasons provided for it. The League continues to believe that the original committee took the correct approach in interpreting the rules in a practical and workable way that gives effect to their intended purpose. In overturning the original committee’s findings, the Premier League considers that the appeal board’s decision fails to take into account the purpose of the rules, all relevant parts of the PSRs and the need for effective enforcement of the alleged breaches to ensure fairness between all clubs.
“If the appeal board is right, its decision will have created a situation where any club that exceeds the PSR threshold could avoid accountability in these specific circumstances. Clearly, that is not the intent of the rules.
“It is vitally important that the Premier League is able to apply its rules consistently to uphold the principle of fairness. The League will now consider what further steps it can take to ensure this is the case.”
More information coming soon
