Lawyer Stefan Borson believes the Premier League have “serious questions” to answer over Chelsea’s accounts after Everton were charged twice for lesser offences.
The Toffees have been dealt two points deductions worth eight points this season for PSR breaches in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, leaving the club fighting for their lives at the bottom of the division. Chelsea however haven’t been charged for the 2023/24 season, despite their accounts showing that they only fell under the limits because they sold a hotel to their own parent company at a profit and still retain all the profits of the business.
it’s “very hard to understand” why Chelsea haven’t been charged or questioned by the Premier League when Everton were charged within days.
Serious questions to answer for the Premier League on the difference in approach on Everton (Forest is a little simpler) and Chelsea re 22/23 PSR and accounting,” he wrote. On Everton, within days of receiving the accounts, the PL reached a position where it wanted to challenge the audit in respect of capitalisation in an Independent Commission.
That will take place post-season. Yet for reasons that are not clear, as of 5 March (and it seems as of even today), the PL has allowed what should be a short approval process regarding a property transaction at Chelsea to drag on without formal disallowance or challenge at an IC. Very hard to understand why the PL have dithered.
Even Chelsea admit that the conclusion of that approval process may *materially* change the gain realised. That would potentially lead to a breach of 22/23 PSR.
Premier League prove they have no idea what they’re doing with EvertonIt’s becoming clearer and clearer with every passing day that the Premier League have absolutely no idea what they are doing with these financial rules and are making it up as they go along. Everton were initially docked ten points, which was reduced to six on appeal.
Nottingham Forest were then docked four points for their charges and the Toffees saw a further two points taken away for a second charge which fell under the same time frame as the first. All of this while Manchester City face 115 charges for their issues, and Chelsea has only managed to not breach by selling their own assets to themselves.
If Chelsea are somehow allowed to get away with this without seeing points deductions and charges it will just add to the pile of evidence that the Premier League treat clubs differently depending on where they are in the table.
Chelsea should have the book thrown at them just like Everton did. But instead, the rules will change from next season and they’ll likely get away scot-free, while the Merseyside Blues are forced to pick up the pieces of the mess left behind.
