Lawyer shares Leeds United compensation timeline verdict after Everton 10-point deduction
Leeds United would be “well advised” to wait until Everton’s appeal has been dealt with before pursuing any compensation, according to Nii Anteson, a partner in the sport group at the Sheridans law firm.
The verdict comes after the Toffees were handed a 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
According to the ECHO (23 November), Leeds, Burnley and Leicester City are understood to be considering making a claim for compensation regarding their relegations from the top flight in recent seasons.
“It’s an interesting one because there was an interim application from various clubs to become parties to the proceedings against Everton,” Anteson told the ECHO. “That was declined and I think the commission was very clear that the rules didn’t really allow for that. What the rules do allow for is for third party clubs to submit evidence in relation to their losses, and then the commission can consider that.
“One of the commission’s discretionary powers is to award compensation, and I expect the reason it didn’t do that in this case was because any relegated club’s claim is quite complicated because it’s not necessarily a direct case of causing loss. You still have to establish on the balance of probabilities that, but for the breaches by Everton, you would have survived, and that would have been more likely than Everton surviving anyway. That is how the commission decided to deal with it.
“I don’t think that any club would be well advised to start pursuing compensation until Everton’s appeal is dealt with, so that you don’t have the risk of wasting costs and then the sanction, or the finding that they breached the rule is overturned.”
Waiting game
Leeds will have to be patient with this case given how Everton have appealed the decision concerning their breach of the top flight’s financial rules.
It is certain to be a lengthy and complicated process, with the Toffees certain to take much of the focus in the coming weeks, leaving the likes of Leeds, Leicester and Burnley waiting in the wings.
All those three clubs can do now is forget about the issue and get going on the training pitch once more following the recent international break.
The Clarets have already been given a massive boost given how Everton now join them on four points at the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Whites and the Foxes meanwhile must continue their impressive Championship campaigns, with the former currently sitting third and the latter currently in pole position.
Leeds next take to the pitch with an away clash against Rotherham on Friday (24 November), with Leicester hosting Watford on Saturday (25 November).
In other Leeds United news, journalist Alan Nixon has raged at the latest news from Premier League club Everton, with a Whites legal claim issued.