This Premier League It has been repeatedly recommended to establish an independent unit to expedite complex financial cases such as those involving Manchester City And Evertonbecause the planet’s most popular competition could grapple with legal uncertainty for years to come.
The Independent was told that some of the clubs are continuing the debate, but this has not been taken into account so far.
CEO’s appearance Richard Masters Presenting the trophy to City on Sunday – as the club is also the first champion in this case to face charges that could result in their expulsion from the competition if proven at the same time – re-raised questions about the Premier League’s role as organizer, regulator, investigator and prosecutor.
It appears that some clubs are becoming increasingly “furious”, especially with reports of recent delays in the process.
It also leaves open the possibility that all of the Premier League’s major battles – the championship, the Champions League and relegation – could be resolved this season amid regulatory uncertainty over the future.
While City faces 115 charges related to Financial Fair Play rules and Everton is referred to an independent commission for alleged violations of the Profits and Sustainability rules, Masters previously refused to confirm whether a US court was investigating Newcastle’s ownership after documents received from majority shareholders Public Investment. had refused. The funding appeared to contradict the Premier League’s “legally binding assurances by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that it will not control the club”.
Both City and Everton vehemently denied any offense. However, for others, the key is to leave a cloud over everything that happens.
A keen view in legal circles is financially complex, like the cases involving City and Everton, that go beyond general sports discipline issues and require dedicated financial experts from the very beginning, rather than just heavy-handed legal figures.
That’s why Uefa and EFL have two independent bodies; the continental federation establishes the Chamber of Investigation and Trial, and the English body reflects this with the Club Financial Review Panel and the Club Financial Review Unit.
Such units not only speed up processes but also ensure “consistency and independence” – in the words of EFL’s own announcement – by stripping boards of discretion.
Manchester City celebrate another Premier League title over the weekend (Martin Rickett/PA)
(PA Wire)
A number of Premier League club employees are pointing to this as the perception grows that City’s strategy is again a blocking strategy, just as the Uefa figures suggest.
Several sources describe it as a “mess” where competition is under pressure from both sides, but is “predictable and preventable”.
Meanwhile, some of Everton’s Premier League rivals have requested that their cases be expedited so that everything can be settled before the season ends.
If the Goodison Park club goes down, the EFL will not be able to pursue the case, although it appears the commission will continue.
However, an example of how this could lead to further complications is that if the case resulted in Everton being awarded points, this would not apply in the EFL.
It would have to wait until a period when the club returns to the Premier League. Currently, commissions are appointed to deal with all disciplinary issues in elite competition.
Everton continue to struggle with relegation
(Action Footage via Reuters)
While the panel that would create these commissions was formerly recommended by the league and approved by clubs, this changed in early 2020 as the Premier League itself selected the person from that panel for the relevant issue.
A completely independent chairman appoints legal and financial experts to the Judiciary and decides who goes to the Commission. City reportedly objected to Murray Rosen KC’s appointment as president, as he is an Arsenal supporter. The debate is that this process has evolved to become more independent and a stance in the Premier League is that clubs favor the board of directors to settle various issues.
However, there has been growing controversy over this as figures at clubs have been frustrated by lawsuits. One counter-argument is that commissions are always independent, but independent bodies do investigation and prosecution, which is so important.
Some Premier League executives also pointed to how the Reading case was handled in the EFL in a matter of weeks; this resulted in the club receiving a second six-point penalty for failing to fulfill an agreed business plan following a historic Profits violation. Sustainability limits.
Manchester City’s future in the Premier League remains uncertain
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“You can’t have the same people who charge clubs and help them with the process,” one source said. “Obvious.”
Beyond that, several sources have talked about how the legal workload of the Premier League has increased significantly with the lawsuit.
Some figures in this field have spoken of how this reflects the transforming role of competition.
What was a group of partners whose main job was to sell media rights, many of which historically boasted their advanced teams, has grown into a group that has to deal with the most complex legal and financial cases.
One view was that “To keep clubs in line, they need experts and stubborn lawyers to scare them”.
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