Nottingham Forest have been plunged into the relegation zone after becoming the second Premier League club to receive a points deduction for breaches of profit and sustainability rules.
The East Midlands side today learnt that they were being docked FOUR points for breaking the permitted limit of losses across a three-year cycle. And that leaves Nuno Espirito Santo’s team facing a daunting battle to preserve their top-flight status.
Their deduction follows Everton ’s punishment for a breach of the same regulations. The Goodison Park club were initially stripped of 10 points but had four of those reinstated last month following an appeal.
But Sean Dyche’s team are now four points clear of Forest, who have fallen behind Luton Town and into 18th place, though the Merseyside club could still face an additional punishment in the coming weeks. Everton also have a game in hand.
While Everton were judged on a £105m limit across the past three years, the cap is calculated differently for promoted teams with losses of only £13m per campaign allowed in the Championship.
Premier League odds and betting tips
That meant Forest had a limit of £61m and until now the margin by which they were over the limit had not been confirmed. After promotion in the summer of 2022 the club brought in 30 new signings, while their desire to wait to sell Brennan Johnson last summer meant his £47.5m fee to join Tottenham was not included in the financial year.
Johnson's move was part of Forest's argument against the charges. They had rejected a bid of about £30m from Brentford in June, which would have been part of the financial accounts and seen them stay within the limits. But their valuation of the Wales attacker was much higher and finally received what they deemed an adequate bid later in the transfer window.
Forest have won one of their past nine games and drew 1-1 away to Luton on Saturday afternoon. They face mid-table sides Crystal Palace and Fulham after the international break.
Forest, who are owned by Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis, do have scope to appeal the decision. However, there are concerns from other Premier League clubs regarding the timeline for such a protest because the process might not be finalised until after every fixture is played - creating, for instance, the potential for a team that finishes in 17th position ending up being relegated and a side in 18th retaining their status.
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
