On 8 April 2024, it was announced that a Premier League Commission had sanctioned Everton FC (“EFC”) with an immediate two-point deduction for EFC’s breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (“PSR”). This article considers the Commission’s approach to sanction and how this affects the general approach to sanction for a breach of the PSR upper loss threshold.

On 18 March 2024, it was announced that a Premier League Commission had sanctioned Nottingham Forest Football Club with an immediate four-point deduction following a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (“PSR”). This article considers the Commission’s decision, which provides further clarity on how to approach sanction for a breach of the PSR.

On 6 March 2024 it was announced that a decision by the Championship Financial Review Panel (“the CFRP”) determined that Leicester City Football Club (“LCFC”) was not required to submit a business plan to demonstrate how it planned to comply with the EFL’s Championship Profitability and Sustainability Rules. This article explains the CFRP’s decision and indicates what the future holds for LCFC.

On 26 February 2024, it was announced that Everton Football Club (“EFC”) had succeeded in its appeal against a Premier League Commission’s decision to sanction EFC with an immediate ten-point deduction for EFC’s breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules. The Appeal Board’s decision provides valuable guidance on how to approach sanction in such cases.

Football Law and Linklaters’ SportingLinks have linked up to produce a podcast. In this podcast Mark Warren, Kalin Ivanov and Jason Shardlow-Wrest of Linklaters and Thomas Horton discuss how football clubs playing in UEFA club competitions or the English Football League have grappled with those competitions’ financial fair play regulations this year.

On 25 August 2020 the EFL’s announced that an Independent Disciplinary Commission had dismissed the charge brought by the EFL against Derby County FC in respect of the valuation associated with the sale of Pride Park in 2018. This article considers how the IDC reached that decision.

Between August 2018 and June 2020 Birmingham City FC entered a business plan with the EFL, was against the EFL in three hearings, was deducted nine points and was issued with a reprimand. Now all of that is behind BCFC and their financial health seems much improved, this article provides a summary of those three hearings to explain what exactly happened.

On 7 August 2020 the EFL announced that League One and League Two clubs had voted for the introduction of Squad Salary Caps. The PFA had already invited the EFL to an expedited arbitration in respect of the legality of the salary caps. This article explains the salary caps and considers the PFA’s arguments, and one additional argument, as to the legality of the same.

On 28 July 2020 the Court of Arbitration for Sport released its final award with reasons in Manchester City FC’s appeal against UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body’s decision that found MCFC to have overstated sponsorship revenue and not cooperated with the CFCB’s investigations. This article explains the CAS’s decision and considers the significance of the same.

Sheffield Wednesday FC and Derby County FC are awaiting the outcome of charges made against them by the EFL following each clubs' sale of their respective stadium in order to comply with the EFL Championship Profitability and Sustainability Rules. This article explains the background to those charges and considers the clubs' prospects of defending the same.

UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body has banned Manchester City FC (“MCFC”) from UEFA club competitions for two years and fined MCFC €30,000,000 for MCFC’s breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations. This article explains the circumstances and the applicable legal framework of those sanctions and considers what can be expected from MCFC’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the same.