Nottingham Forest lose 4 points and fall into the relegation zone for breaking financial rules

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LONDON (AP) — Nottingham Forest received a four-point penalty on Monday for excessive spending, dropping the team into the Premier League relegation zone with two months left in the season.

They found Forest breached profitability and sustainability regulations, which allow a team to lose a maximum of 105 million pounds ($133 million) over three years or face sanctions.

The team’s evaluation period ended in the 2022-23 campaign and therefore included two campaigns in which the club was in the second division known as the Championship. Forest were allowed to lose up to 61 million pounds ($77 million) in their first year back in the Premier League last season, but the team went over the limit by 34.5 million pounds ($44 million) after signing 21 players in the offseason at a cost of $160 million after promotion.

The team led by Nuno Espirito Santo fell from 17th to 18th place – one of the three relegation places in the Premier League – and has 21 points with nine games remaining. Luton, which has 22 points, left the relegation zone as a result.

The sanction was awarded by a three-person independent commission following a hearing this month.

Forest did not immediately say whether the club would appeal the penalty. If they do so, the verdict may not come before the last day of the league on May 19. This would mean that the identity of the teams that would be relegated would be known days after the campaign concludes and would be highly controversial.

Everton recently had points docked — for breaking spending rules in a three-year period that ended in the 2021-22 campaign — which went from 10 to 6 after appeal.

Everton, who are also in the relegation fight, could receive another point reduction for breaking the rule again — this time in the period ending in the 2022-23 campaign.

In a separate disciplinary case, Manchester City are currently in a legal fight in the Premier League after the competition accused the English and European champions of allegedly breaking 80 financial rules between 2009 and 2018, as well as another 30 for apparent lack of cooperation. with the investigation.

The outcome of this case is believed to occur until the middle of next season due to the high number of infractions.