Everton have appealed against the decision to dock them 10 Premier League points for financial rule breaches.
The Toffees were handed the punishment – the biggest in Premier League history – by an independent commission.
The club have lodged their appeal with the Premier League’s judicial panel, and an appeal board will now be appointed to hear the case.
The club admitted the breach but said they were “shocked and disappointed” at the severity of the punishment.
The appeal will be heard and concluded before the end of this season.
“Everton Football Club has today lodged with the chair of the Premier League’s judicial panel its appeal of the decision by a Premier League commission to impose a 10-point deduction on the club,” Everton said.
Sport understands the club have not been told how the figure of 10 points was reached by the independent commission which decided the sanction, and feel a sporting penalty for breaking financial limits is unjust.
The appeal will go before a panel which will review the ruling of the commission, assessing the process and whether, in its opinion, the penalty issued was fair or not.
The points deduction dropped Everton from 14th in the Premier League table to 19th.
Thousands of Everton fans held anti-Premier League protests before and during Sunday’s 3-0 defeat against Manchester United over the scale of the punishment.
A number of regional politicians have also raised concerns, including Mayor of Liverpool Steve Rotheram and Mayor for Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who is an Everton season ticket-holder.
Why were Everton deducted 10 points?
The independent commission found Everton’s losses to 2021-22 amounted to £124.5m, with English top-flight clubs only permitted to lose £105m over three years.
Everton believe interest payments on money borrowed to build the club’s new £760m stadium at Bramley Moore Dock were permissible ‘add backs’ for profit and sustainability calculations in the 2021-22 financial year.
But the commission disagreed and did not accept the club’s claim of mitigating factors such as compliance with the Premier League process over the past two years, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, which resulted in the loss of the lucrative USM sponsorship, and the impact of the Covid pandemic on the transfer market.
Everton may also face further financial concerns with possible compensation claims from Burnley, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Southampton after a ruling from David Phillips KC in May, in which he said he was “satisfied” that the clubs have a case.
Burnley, Leeds, Leicester and Southampton have all been relegated over the past two seasons, although the Clarets have since returned to the top flight.
Clubs have 28 days from the date of this month’s ruling to decide if they want to pursue a claim.
