Everton, a Premier League mainstay that has spent nearly its entire 145-year existence in English soccer’s top flight, has been hit with a 10-point penalty for breaking financial rules.
The points will be deducted immediately, and drag Everton down into the Premier League’s relegation zone 12 matches into the 2023-24 season.
They also represent the most severe sporting sanction in league history, and spark all sorts of messy questions about the rules themselves and the consequences of Everton’s breach.
Shortly after the Premier League announced the decision Friday, the club responded with a statement, saying it was “shocked and disappointed by the ruling.” It plans to appeal what it called “a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction.”
This story will be updated shortly.
