David Moyes has called on the Premier League to provide a fuller explanation of why Chelsea were not deducted points for breaking financial rules under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.
Everton were deducted 10 points in November 2023, reduced to six on appeal, plus a further two points later that season for breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). Nottingham Forest were deducted four points that season for a PSR breach. The Premier League had argued for a 12-point deduction for Everton over the first offence – a breach of £19.5m over a three-year period – and an eight point deduction for Forest.
The Premier League announced on Monday that Chelsea had received a record fine of £10.75m, a suspended transfer embargo and a nine-month academy transfer ban for engaging in “deception and concealment” when making illicit payments totalling £47.5m to sign players during a seven year period under Abramovich.
In the written reasons for the ‘Sanction Agreement’, the Premier League stresses that Chelsea would not have breached PSR rules and frequently commends the club’s new owners, Clearlake Capital, for self-reporting the breaches. A points deduction in this case “was not appropriate”, according to the agreement signed by Premier League chief executive Richard Masters.
There is anger and dismay at Everton over the perceived double-standards at play in the Premier League’s disciplinary system. Moyes, who was West Ham manager when Everton broke financial rules and received the points deductions, believes the league has left itself open to criticism with the explanation given for Chelsea’s fine.
“I don’t think they have explained it well enough in the reasoning what the fine was and why it was,” said the Everton manager, whose side host Chelsea on Saturday. “I think they have to explain exactly what has happened here. If they don’t then we are never going to understand their reasoning why.
“This is me not being anything against Chelsea, absolutely not, I’m just saying that everybody would like to know; Everton supporters, for the pain they had to go through when they had a huge points deduction, and other clubs as well. Those points deductions may well have been correct, I don’t know, but we need to see what is the difference? What would you rather have, a £10m fine or a 10 point deduction? The money you get for your league place now, that might cover it. It would be good if we could get more of an explanation. How much is the £10m fine having an effect, really?”