Everton will only be paying £1.7million of the legal costs for last season’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules case and Kieran Maguire has issued a reaction to it.
According to the Times, the case cost a total of £4.9million and the remaining £3.2million will be paid by the Premier League.
Finance expert Kieran Maguire has baulked at the high fees that have been mentioned as it was a case with regards to cost control.
Maguire wrote on X on 4 September: “Premier League claimed costs of £4.9m from Everton compared to those of Everton of £2.1m. Included in PL claim was £895k compared to £172k for the Club. Everton appealed & PL fees down to £1.7m. This is a football club cost control charge not a global criminal cartel case.”
PSR needs to be revised after the recent Everton chaos
The Toffees’ case highlights significant issues with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules and their enforcement, as evidenced by the legal fees incurred.
The Premier League’s initial claim of £4.9million in legal costs for a case centred around financial fair play seems disproportionately high, especially when juxtaposed with Everton’s costs and the nature of the dispute.
This isn’t a case of international crime but rather a regulatory issue within football finance, yet the costs suggest otherwise, pointing to an inefficient or overly aggressive approach by the Premier League.
Moreover, the drastic reduction in fees upon appeal to £1.7million indicates either an initial overreach or poor judgement in cost management by the Premier League.
This scenario not only questions the fairness and effectiveness of the PSR but also suggests a need for a more balanced, transparent and perhaps less punitive approach to how financial regulations are enforced within the league.
Hopefully, things change for the better and they actually target the clubs that often get away with things.
