Leicester City have been hit with some bad news regarding breaches of both Premier League and EFL spending rules on the eve of their first game of the season against Tottenham.
Steve Cooper knew he was taking over club in a precarious position when he agreed to replace Enzo Maresca as manager of Leicester City.
The club were at risk of breaching Premier League Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) this summer having already been charged in March for a historic failure to comply; something they have appealed.
That saw star man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sold to Chelsea for £30 million, with the £10 million compensation the Stamford Bridge club paid Leicester for Maresca also helping.
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However, the club’s fate still hangs in the balance, as the EFL have now handed over their own case against Leicester to the Premier League.
Leicester City could be hit with two separate Premier League punishments
Leicester have their work cut out to stay in the Premier League even without any intervention by the Premier League.
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Last season, all three newly-promoted sides went straight back down and Leicester are facing the challenge of staying in the top flight without the manager and star player who got them there.
However, that could be set to become far more challenging as Leicester have learned they could now be hit with two separate point deductions.
That is according to The Sun, who report that the ‘EFL handed over their probe into the Foxes’ alleged PSR breaches in the Championship’ to the Premier League who are now ‘expected to charge the club’ for a second time.
The report claims that Leicester are anticipated to ‘suffer the same fate as Everton, who were given two points deductions for overspending in successive three-year periods ending in 2021/21 and 2022/23’.
Leicester could be deducted more points than Everton by the Premier League
The Premier League initially stripped Everton of ten points which was reduced to six on appeal.
However, they were then hit with an additional two point deduction associated with the second charge – reduced from five due to their co-operation – meaning they lost eight points in total last season.
Nottingham Forest were also sanctioned for breaching spending rules last campaign, seeing their initial eight point deduction reduced to six due to an early guilty plea.
However, The Sun claims that Leicester are unlikely to receive similar leniency due to their appeal against the charges, stating: ‘Leicester’s tactics have varied during the case, which could cost them’.
It adds: ‘Having co-operated with the top flight as they were running away with the Championship last season, the club sought to delay matters when poor results put promotion at risk’.
This is not the news Leicester fans would have wanted just one day before they welcome Spurs to the King Power, but Cooper will have to use the potential deduction as fuel for his players to pull off a great escape.