Leicester City appeals six-point penalty amid relegation fight
Leicester City have lodged an appeal against the six-point penalty that has left them battling relegation in the Championship. However, the Foxes face the prospect of their situation deteriorating further, as Premier League officials are pursuing an additional point deduction against the club, reports BritPanorama.
The King Power outfit currently languish in 22nd position, sitting two points behind West Brom with 14 matches remaining in the campaign. Consecutive losses to Birmingham and Southampton have compounded their difficulties following the punishment imposed earlier this month.
The club is expected to argue they should receive only a financial penalty rather than any sporting sanction, while the Premier League maintains an extra point should be stripped. An independent commission found Leicester guilty of breaching EFL Profit and Sustainability Rules back in November, determining the club had exceeded the P&S threshold by £20.8 million during the three-year assessment period concluding in summer 2024.
Leicester’s aggregate losses across this timeframe reached £103.8 million. The commission rejected the club’s assertion that they had provided “exceptional cooperation” throughout the investigation. Furthermore, the panel ruled that Leicester’s failure to submit annual accounts by the required financial deadline constituted a separate breach of Premier League regulations.
The Premier League had initially sought either a 12-point deduction or a £20 million fine, but the commission cited the club’s improving financial circumstances as a mitigating factor. Leicester had previously engaged in a protracted legal battle with the Premier League and EFL over jurisdictional matters, contending that neither body held authority to sanction breaches occurring while the club was a member of the other league.
The East Midlands club secured an unexpected triumph at an appeal hearing concerning charges from the 2022-23 campaign, compelling football authorities to revise their rulebooks and harmonise regulations between the two leagues. However, a subsequent legal dispute arose, and Leicester’s bid to establish that the Premier League lacked jurisdiction to enforce its rules was rejected in March.
Both Leicester and the Premier League have now submitted their respective appeals to Sir Gary Hickinbottom, the former Appeal Court Judge who heads the Premier League’s Judicial Panel. Sir Gary will be responsible for appointing an appeal board to hear the cases.
The Premier League has indicated it wants the matter settled swiftly, issuing a statement declaring: “To provide certainty for all clubs and fans, the Premier League will be seeking to have the appeal resolved urgently, and in any event before the end of the EFL season.” Despite the commission identifying the accounting breach, no separate sanction was applied for this violation, which Premier League lawyers had argued warranted an additional point deduction.
As the situation unfolds, Leicester’s battle reflects the precarious nature of life at the lower end of the Championship, where every decision holds weight and every point is invaluable. The coming days will not only determine the club’s fate but may also shift the balance of accountability within the league itself.
