The hearing by an independent commission into Everton’s alleged breaches of Premier League Profitability and Sustainability rules began behind closed doors this week.
Media outlets report that opening submissions from club representatives and the League were made yesterday and that the hearing is expected to conclude next week. A date of 25 October had originally been mooted by media outlets for when Everton would have learned the ruling from the panel.
However, the reports suggest that the Premier League aren’t expected to publish the verdict and any penalties they may exact on Everton based on the independent commission’s recommendations until “some point next month,” according to the Daily Mail.
Their reporter Matt Hughes continues: “Such is the level of secrecy surrounding the process that senior figures at Everton were unaware that the hearing had begun when contacted by Mail Sport earlier today.”
Everton’s case was referred by the Premier League to the commission in March following the publication of the club’s annual accounts for the 2021-22 financial year.
The League are believed to have found the Blues in breach of spending rules, with some sources speculating that it pertained to a single infraction, possibly related to taxes.
There has been no indication of the severity of the punishment the club could be handed but the consensus is that it could range from a hefty fine (thought unlikely given that the League’s financial rules are imposed to protect the fiscal health of its member clubs) to a points deduction, with the latter potentially suspended, and a transfer embargo also among the possibilities.
For their part, Everton have insisted that they are confident they have remained compliant with Premier League rules and are expected to point out to the commission that their transfer dealings and expenditure have been under review by the League since the summer of 2021.