Everton have been deducted 10 points with immediate effect for a breach of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Everton say they are “shocked and disappointed” by the ruling and have vowed to appeal.
“Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted,” said the club.
The deduction, which was meted out by an independent commission and will be imposed with immediate effect, is the largest in the history of the Premier League and plunges Sean Dyche’s team into the relegation zone.
According to the Premier League, Everton admitted during a five-day hearing it was in breach of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
The commission determined that “Everton’s PSR calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5m, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted under the PSRs.”
After narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship last season, Everton were – prior to their points loss – 14th in the league table, eight points above the bottom three.
Only two clubs have previously been docked points in Premier League history – Middlesbrough, who were deducted three for failing to fulfil a fixture against Blackburn in 1996/97, and Portsmouth, who were stripped of nine after entering administration in March 2010.
