Leicester City’s six-point deduction has been upheld following an appeal from the club and the Premier League.
Leicester were deducted six points in February for breaching the English Football League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) during the three-year period ending with the 2023-24 season.
A Premier League statement released on Wednesday confirmed an independent board has dismissed Leicester’s appeal, in addition to a challenge from the Premier League.
The decision means Leicester remain 22nd in the Championship, in the second tier’s final relegation spot, one point from safety with five matches remaining.
“The club appealed that decision on a number of grounds, including the power of the commission to recommend the points deduction, as well as the level of sanction,” a Premier League statement read. “These were dismissed by the appeal board.
“The appeal board also dismissed a challenge by the Premier League, which was limited to the commission’s decision not to increase the sanction on the club as a result of its breach of the League’s rules regarding the late submission of its annual accounts.”
Leicester had breached the PSR threshold by £20.8million ($28.2m) over the three-year assessment period. The written reasons of the independent commission, published by the Premier League in February, show the league had sought a 12-point deduction, while Leicester initially argued a fine was the most appropriate sanction.
A Leicester statement read: “We acknowledge that an independent commission’s decision to recommend a six-point deduction on the club this season has been upheld by an independent Appeal Board.
“The decision relates to our profit and sustainability position for the three-year period to June 2024 and is accepted by the club.
“With the matter now at an end and five games of the season remaining, everyone at the club is fully focused on the matches in front of us and on shaping the outcome of our season through our results on the pitch.
“We know this has been a challenging period, and we thank our supporters for the backing they continue to give the team. The responsibility now is to ensure these remaining games are approached with the focus and intent our current situation demands.”
Leicester face Swansea City, Portsmouth, Hull City, Millwall and Blackburn Rovers in their bid to stay in the second tier.
What does this mean for Leicester?
Leicester City’s appeal against their six-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules during the 2023-24 season never seemed likely to succeed and their future now must be settled on the pitch.
Everyone around King Power Stadium has grown weary of talking about PSR and sanctions. They have hung like a menacing cloud over the club ever since their shock relegation from the Premier League in 2022-23.
With the club now confident of avoiding any future breaches after a dramatic summer of cost-cutting following a second relegation to the Championship in three years, with much more to come this summer, at least that chapter is over.
But the storm clouds still remain as they face a desperate battle to remain in the Championship, ten years on from their astonishing Premier League title triumph. Never has a club fallen so far and so dramatically in such a short space of time.
At least they know what must be done and that no salvation will come in a court room. It has to be done on the pitch over the final five games, and considering they have won just once in all competitions since January 10, it remains a tall order.
What had Leicester and the Premier League appealed?
Leicester were handed a six-point deduction by an independent commission in February.
Leicester argued the commission did not have the power to recommend a points deduction in the EFL. The club also argued that the starting point for such a sanction — which the commission stated was seven points — should have been lower, insisting five or six was more appropriate.
All of Leicester’s grounds for appeal were rejected by the appeal body, who argued a points deduction from the EFL is “precisely what LCFC would have expected”. The club’s appeal was dismissed in its entirety.
The Premier League, meanwhile, had sought a greater points deduction on the basis that Leicester had refused to provide its 2024 accounts to the top flight by the deadline.
The league argued the commission had failed to treat this disclosure breach as an aggravating factor when handing out the points deduction.
The appeal body concluded the commission had taken this into account when determining the initial sanction. Leicester had argued the club had demonstrated “exceptional cooperation” during proceedings when arguing their case for a lesser sanction, which the commission dismissed on the grounds of the disclosure breach, and therefore a smaller points deduction was not recommended. The Premier League’s appeal was subsequently dismissed.