Championship clubs 'demand' sanction for Leeds United's promotion rivals amid £215m revelation — YEP 4/4/24
Leeds United could lose out on promotion to Leicester City.
By Kyle Newbould
The English Football League (EFL) is reportedly facing
pressure from several Championship clubs to sanction Leicester City, following
confirmation of their massive financial losses from last season.
Leicester published their accounts for the 2022/23 season on
Tuesday evening, announcing a massive £89.7million loss. It is their second
straight year of major losses, having confirmed a £92.5m deficit for the
2021/22 campaign.
The Foxes were relegated from the Premier League last season
and were recently charged for an alleged breach of their profitability and
sustainability rules. Top-flight clubs are permitted to lose a maximum of £105m
over a three-year period, but Leicester’s losses over that time frame total a
whopping £215.3m - more than twice the limit.
It means they could receive a points deduction upon a
potential return to the top-flight, but The Telegraph reports that a number of
Championship clubs are calling for punishment before this season finishes.
There are thought to be concerns that they have gained a sporting advantage by
unfair means.
Leicester have already been placed under a transfer embargo
by the EFL, prohibiting them from signing any new players, but there are
frustrations among some second-tier clubs that the club’s financial
mismanagement has given them an unfair advantage in the promotion race. A
number of current players were signed during the three-year period in which
they seem to have breached profitability and sustainability rules.
In the three-year period ending with the 2022/23 campaign,
the Foxes spent significant money on the likes of Wout Faes, Harry Souttar,
Patson Daka and Jannik Vestergaard. They also had the highest wage bill outside
the Premier League’s ‘big six’ last season and are not thought to have included
relegation-related wage reductions in any contracts.
Following their charge by the Premier League last month,
Leicester insist they will defend their case and cite an ‘unexpected decline in
sporting achievement’ as one of several mitigating factors. With Everton and
Nottingham Forest also charged this season, it means that all three teams who
finished directly above Leeds last season have allegedly breached PSR.