Leicester City have won their appeal over an alleged breach of Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), Afrosport reports.
The decision by the appeal board means Leicester will not have their points deducted as an independent panel reported that the Premier League did not have the “jurisdiction” to punish the club as they had been relegated to the Championship as at the stated time when their accounting period ended on June 30, 2023.
Leicester City has won its appeal against a decision that an independent Commission had jurisdiction to consider an alleged breach by the Club of Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs).
— Leicester City (@LCFC) September 3, 2024
The Premier League alleged that the Foxes had made a loss for three seasons leading up to the 2022-23 season, amounting to £129.4 million, £24.4 million more than the permitted £105m losses across three seasons.
Leicester were charged by the Premier League with breaching the PSR rules. Although the Foxes appealed the charge, an independent commission later ruled that the league could take action.
This resolve wasn’t palatable for Leicester as the 2023-24 Championship winners then appealed against the decision because they were in the English Football League (EFL) at the time the charge was issued.
In a statement released by the club on Tuesday, the welcomed the ruling of the independent panel. It read: “Leicester City welcomes the Appeal Board’s comprehensive decision, which supports our consistently stated position that any action against the Club should be pursued in accordance with the applicable rules.
“To avoid any misunderstandings which may arise in light of the statement which has been issued by the Premier League in response to the appeal decision, Leicester City wishes to emphasise the finding of the Appeal Panel that, when considering the wording which is actually used in the Premier League rules (in accordance with established principles of English law) the Club did not breach the Premier League PSRs for the assessment period ending 30 June 2023.
“In its decision, the Appeal Board (which was made of up a panel of three experienced, senior lawyers, two of whom are former Court of Appeal judges) identifies flaws in the drafting of the Premier League’s rules. In challenging the Premier League’s attempts to charge Leicester City, the Club has simply sought to ensure (in the interests of providing consistency and certainty for all clubs) that the rules are applied based on how they are actually written.”
The Premier League said it was “surprised and disappointed” with the decision.
