Leicester has successfully appealed a ruling that would have resulted in a deduction of points for an alleged violation of Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) regulations.
An impartial tribunal determined that the Premier League lacked the authority to penalize the team.
The panel’s ruling “surprised and disappointed” the Premier League.
“Simply seeking to ensure that the rules are applied based on how they are actually written” was Leicester’s stated goal.
The Premier League accused the Foxes of breaking expenditure regulations. They contested this accusation in an appeal, but an impartial panel ultimately decided that the highest authority could act.
Leicester then filed an appeal against that ruling, using their membership in the English Football League (EFL) at the time as justification, and the outcome was announced on Tuesday.
Under PSR rules, clubs cannot lose more than £105 million over a three-season period.
The Premier League has charged Leicester City with breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) rules, a decision that was upheld by an independent panel.
The panel ruled that the PSR rules were “far from well drafted” and that any club exceeding the threshold could avoid accountability in these specific circumstances. Leicester were deemed “no longer a club” governed by the PSR rules when the calculation was carried out, and were not in breach of the rules.
The Premier League has questioned the ruling and suggested that those who may breach PSR could avoid punishment in these circumstances.
The league will now consider further action to ensure consistent enforcement and maintain the principle of fairness. An appeal is unlikely due to the high bar of what it would have to prove, but some rules could be rewritten to avoid a repeat scenario.
(BBC)
